Rise of Australia

Chapter 372 Environmental Protection Act
As the largest river in Australasia and the largest river in the Oceania region, the Murray River has contributed a lot to the economic development of Australasia.

The Murray River and its tributary, the Darling River, provide a large amount of industrial, agricultural and domestic water for the central region of southeastern Australia, and are also the key to the rise of New South Wales and Victoria.

According to the preliminary report of the geographical survey team, the total area of ​​the Murray River and Darling River Basin is estimated to be 100 million square kilometers, accounting for more than one-eighth of the total land area of ​​Australasia.

In the original history, this Gobi and desertified area still has more than half of Australia's arable land, more than 70.00% of irrigated farmland, nearly half of cattle and sheep, livestock and at least one third of dairy products and meat products Production.

The total agricultural output value alone accounts for more than 40% of Australia's total agricultural output value, and is the economic pillar of Australia in future generations.

At the same time, the Murray River Basin also provides sufficient agricultural products, industrial raw materials and fresh water for the development of big cities such as Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Brisbane outside the basin, and is the hinterland of the economy.

And these achievements were achieved after the watershed had been turned into a desert.At present, this land is still dominated by the vast majority of grasslands, and the proportion of Gombar paintings is less than five thousandths.

If the region can be saved, it will become the cradle of Australasian agricultural and pastoral products even more than in history.

Of course, that doesn't mean the area is perfect.Part of the famous Great Artesian Basin in Australasia overlaps with the Murray River Basin.

The reason why this basin is named the Great Artesian Basin is because the Great Divide makes the central and western parts of Australia relatively dry and lacks precipitation.

However, the precipitation in the east of the Great Dividing Range is developed, and a large amount of rainwater seeps into the ground along the Great Dividing Range, flowing from the eastern region of Australia to the western region.

In this area of ​​the Great Basin of Australia, there are abundant groundwater resources underground, and a large amount of water resources can be gushed out with only a little drilling, which is also the origin of the name of the Great Artesian Basin.

It has been nearly 1886 years since the Great Artesian Basin was mentioned in 30.

With the influx of immigrants from Australasia, water extraction in the Great Artesian Basin has also become very extensive.

In the overlapping area of ​​the northern part of the Murray River Basin and the Great Artesian Basin, you can find more than a dozen drilling holes, gushing a large amount of water resources.

These water resources provide a large amount of water for livestock and industry in Australasia and are the reason why Australasia's industry and agriculture have developed so rapidly.

However, excessive exploitation of water resources is always bad. Generally speaking, Australasia is still short of water, especially in the central and western parts of Australia. With the growth of population, the problem of water shortage has become more and more serious.

Some boreholes that are used to supply mines, after the mineral resources are exhausted, these boreholes that are still spouting a large amount of water resources are ignored, wasting a lot of water resources in vain.

According to the estimates of the geographical survey team, although the Great Artesian Basin and the Murray River Basin are not short of water resources at present, if this waste continues, at most 30 years later, Australasia will usher in a severe water crisis.

It is also fortunate that the population of Australasia is less than 1500 million so far. Otherwise, the water crisis may have to be brought forward.

Australasia is a country rich in materials and has all kinds of mineral resources, which are very rich.

That doesn't mean Australasia doesn't have its flaws.Because the geographical location was relatively remote before, population has always been a big problem.

Coupled with the barrier of the Great Dividing Range, the water resources in Western Australia are very scarce.

Although Australia has more than 700 million square kilometers of Guangzhou trade land, the water problem is a hidden danger to the country's development, and may even directly restrict the country's development in the future.

Arthur had expected this for a long time. In the past ten years, in the Australian region, a large number of reservoirs and water storage areas have been encouraged to be excavated to ensure that Australian residents have enough water for domestic use. and agricultural use.

However, these reservoirs are still too scarce compared to the water consumption of the entire country. If Australasia wants to completely solve the water problem, at least for now, saving and cherishing water resources is very important.

In fact, New Guinea is very rich in water resources, and there is indeed a lot of rainfall.But for at least 50 to [-] years, these water resources cannot be transported to Australia, which will not help Australia's water resource problems.

If Arthur remembers correctly, submarine pipeline technology should have been born more than 40 years later.This also means that perhaps after World War II, Australasia will have enough capacity to complete Australasia's own North-to-South Water Diversion Project.

In any case, water resources in Australia have always been a problem, and no one should be allowed to waste water recklessly.

Thinking of this, Arthur ordered someone to call the Cabinet Prime Minister Kent, and decided to make a fuss about environmental protection.

Taking advantage of the fact that Prime Minister Kent hadn't arrived yet, Arthur continued to look at the report, looking at the current problems in the Murray River Basin.

Over the course of two months, the Geographical Survey team studied the causes of desertification and Gobi in Western Australia, and tentatively pinned the culprit on Australasia's rich wildlife.

As we all know, there are not many wild carnivores in Australia. Thylacine and wild dog are two of the larger wild carnivores in Australia.

However, with the development of animal husbandry in Australasia, these two wild animals, especially the larger and more ferocious thylacine, inevitably clashed with humans.

Since the colonial period, there has been a habit of hunting thylacine in Australia.Even some colonial governments openly rewarded one pound for killing an adult thylacine, and ten pence for killing a juvenile thylacine.

As a result, tens of thousands of thylacines were killed during the colonial period.Although this policy did not continue after Arthur came to Australia, hunting thylacine has become a habit of many herdsmen, and it can also protect the cattle and sheep they raise.

It is precisely because the number of wild carnivores in Australia is decreasing day by day that a large number of wild animals are spreading in a crazy way, causing serious damage to Australia's grasslands and promoting the formation of land desertification.

Wild rabbits, kangaroos, wild goats, camels, wild boars and other wild animals add up to billions, or billions.

With such a huge number of wild animals, the harm to Australia's land can be imagined.

The geographical survey team boldly predicts that if there are no restrictions on these wild animals, desertification in the Murray River Basin will intensify within 20 years, and this plain of millions of square kilometers will gradually become the neighbor and neighbor. desert.

Arthur also heard about the flood of wild animals in Australia in later generations, but he did not expect it to be so serious more than 100 years ago.

In any case, the development of the country is above all else.Now that these wild animals have seriously endangered the land of Australia, it is bound to introduce quite strict restrictions to limit the number of wild animals.

One of the reasons for the proliferation of wild animals in Australia is actually the fact that Australians do not pay attention to Australia's native carnivores.

If the number of thylacines is sufficient, the problem of wildlife in Australia will not be so serious that it has even endangered the survival of the country.

About ten minutes later, Prime Minister Kent hurried over and knocked on the door of the office.

More than ten minutes happened to be the distance between the Government Affairs Council and the palace, which also meant that Prime Minister Kent rushed over non-stop after receiving Arthur's order.

After all, the communication between the royal palace and the Government Affairs Council uses wired telegrams and wired telephones, and there is basically no delay in communication.

"Your Majesty!" After entering the office, Prime Minister Kent saluted Arthur respectfully.

"Sit down. Take a look at this report, Prime Minister Kent. It's an exaggeration. Our current biological situation is so serious that we must issue relevant laws and regulations to restrict it." Arthur pointed to the report and asked Prime Minister Kent himself have a look.

Seeing that what Arthur said was very serious and serious, Prime Minister Kent did not dare to be careless, picked up the report and read it carefully.

The opening chapter is the advantages and benefits of the Murray River Basin, as well as the excellent geographical location and resources of this area.

But at a relatively low position, it clearly lists the current poor ecological environment of this area, as well as the problems that are likely to arise in the future.

It is not surprising that Arthur investigated the Kent Prime Minister in the Murray River Basin. The basins and plains in the central part of Australia are undoubtedly more suitable for the development of the country than the hills in Southeast Asia.

Whether it is the capital of the country, or as an excellent agricultural, animal husbandry and industrial production area, it has unique geographical and resource advantages.

After seeing the current problems in the Murray River Basin at the end, the Prime Minister of Kent couldn't help being speechless, and said to Arthur without hesitation: "Your Majesty, it is indeed necessary to introduce a law to protect Australia and even the whole of Australasia. ecological environment."

Arthur nodded, and directly threw the question to Prime Minister Kent, and ordered: "I will entrust this task to you, Prime Minister Kent. My request is to first protect wild carnivores in Australia, especially the thylacine population."

"Secondly, greatly limit the number of wild animals in Australia. If necessary, introduce corresponding incentive policies to encourage Australians to hunt and kill wild herbivores. The fur of these wild animals can be made into corresponding finished products, and the meat can also be It can be processed into cans and become our grain reserve, which will be exported to Europe in the future.”

"From this point of view, these wild animals also have good economic value. After hunting wild animals to form a certain industrial chain, the government and the royal family will fund the establishment of meat canning factories, completely using wild herbivores as an industrial chain, It can not only solve the severe ecological and environmental problems we are currently facing, but also generate considerable income for the country and the government."

Needless to say, the fur of animals has a certain value.The meat of wild animals, in addition to being made into various delicacies, can be made into various canned products, which will be exported to Europe in the future.

This different type of meat can also be used as an extra meal for the European army in the future.After all, eating one kind of meat all the time will make you tired, right?
　The second update of 3200 words, ask for a monthly ticket, ask for support!

　　(This should be the last chapter of the fourth volume, and the fifth volume will start tomorrow, World War I!)

　　
　
(End of this chapter)