NEW AERODROMES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24951, 25 June 1942, Page 5

NEW AERODROMES

AUSTRALIA'S PROGRAMME

ONE HUNDRED ALREADY BUILT (N.Z.P.A. Special Australian Correspondent) (Rec. 0.45 a.m.) SYDNEY, June 24. More than 100 new aerodromes have been built for the Allied Air Forces throughout Australia in the past three months and many more are yet to be built. This has been disclosed by Brigadier-general Hugh Casey, engineer officer at the South-west Pacific General Headquarters. General Casey gave a comprehensive review of the gigantic programme of works already under way and of the work planned for the future. He-said the Allied Works Council, which was working in the closest collaboration with the army and engineering experts, already has 1500 large-scale projects on its. programme, plus 10,000 smaller projects involving amounts up to £SOOO. Improvements had already been made to thousands of miles of Australian roads in strategic areas. General Casey said one of the biggest problems facing Australia in the huge construction programme which the war in the Pacific had rendered necessary was its immense size and relatively small population. Australia had complicated road problems. Railway rolling stock was of light construction, and had not been replaced in recent years. Military operations imposed a terrific strain upon existing communications. There was also a lack of labour, plant, and construction material. "This means that we have to resort to the principle of bare essentials in construction and to rigid priorities." said General Casey. "For instance, when we build a runway we know what the ideal is by civilian standards, but our aim here is to get the maximum number of airfields into operation."