IRRIGATION WORKS

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 4, 5 July 1938, Page 12

IRRIGATION WORKS

AUSTRALIAN EXAMPLE

VISIT BY MR. J. WOOD

An investigation into irrigation works, road making, and aerodrome construction in Australia was recently carried put by Mr. J. Wood, Engineer-in-Chief of the Public Works Department. Mr. Wood returned by the Wanganella from Sydney today. During his stay in Australia Mr. Wood devoted a great deal of attention to irrigation in Victoria, where three-quarters of a million acres have been irrigated and have been converted from unprofitable land into fruit-growing country. One of the interesting engineering works he inspected was the construction of barrages across the five branches of the mouth of the River Murray. The work has been in progress for two years, and is expected to take about another two years to complete. The object of the barrages is to prevent the salt water from working up the river and ruining the pasture land. At flood times, there are gates to cope with the extra water, and it is estimated that it will take three weeks to open the gates. The cost of the barrages is approximately £750,000, which is to be borne by the Commonwealth and the three States which border the Murray.

Mr. Wood said that a proposal was now under way to irrigate another million acres from the Murray. About 60 per cent, of the land was in New South Wales, and 40 per cent, in Victoria. Some of the land irrigated under the new scheme would be used for fruitgrowing, but a good deal of it would be available as pasture land.

Mr.. Wood also inspected Australian roads, some of which he said were excellent, and he devoted considerable attention to aerodromes. The Australian aerodromes were ahead of the New Zealand aerodromes, he said.