BIG DRAINAGE SCHEME.

Hawera Star, Volume XLIX, 19 August 1929, Page 9

BIG DRAINAGE SCHEME.

PROPOSED FOR SOUTH AUSTRALIA.

By raising a, special loan in London, and carrying legislation to compel owners to subdivide their large estates, the South Australian Government hopes to people the unused, but wonderfully fertile, lands in the. south-eastern portion of the State. The area is subject te heavy rains and, being low-dying, becomes so waterlogged in the winter that cultivation is impossible. Efforts to drain the land hitherto have not been successful, but now the work is to be placed in the hands of a -body of engineering experts, and an extensive and prosperous community will result. At present the Government has under survey in other parts of South Australia’ .370,000 acres, but the State does not contain a very large area, suitable for closer settlement. The south-east offers a splendid opportunity to increase South Australians 20,000 primary producers and her population of nearly 600,000. Root crops grow luxuriantly in this favoured district, but too much country is held for purely grazing purposes. The Government hopes to break up these large holdings. The success which has already marked the Government's afforestation scheme, is prooff of what the soil of the south-east, can do. Extensive planting is going on under agreement with the Development and Migration Commission, which has authority to recommend expenditure in connection with the £32.000,000 advanced promised by the British Government. The chairman of the commission, Harry AV. Gepp, haw already inspected the lands in the south-east, where drainage is proposed, and states that he is much impressed with the possibilities, i A recommendation of support is likely to be. made to the Imperial Government, j If the scheme is approved it will bo one j of the largest of its kind in Australia, as there may be 3,000,000 acres involved/