Chapter 372: Ecological Environment Protection Act
As the largest river in Australasia and the largest river in Oceania, the Murray River has made an indispensable contribution 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 to 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 basins is estimated to be 1 million square kilometers, accounting for more than one-eighth of the total area of Australasia.
In the original history, this area that has become Gobi and desertified still has more than half of Australia's arable land, more than 75% of irrigated farmland, nearly half of the cattle, sheep, livestock and at least one-third of the dairy products. , meat product 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 for 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 economic hinterland.
These results were achieved after this watershed became a desert. Today, this land is still dominated by grassland, and the proportion of Gobi murals is less than five thousandths.
If this area can be saved, it will become the cradle of Australasia's agricultural and livestock products even more exaggerated than in history.
Of course, this doesn't mean the area is perfect. Australasia's famous Great Artesian Basin partially overlaps with the Murray River Basin.
The reason why this basin is named the Great Artesian Basin is because the Great Dividing Range makes the central and western parts of Australia relatively dry and lacks precipitation.
However, precipitation is developed in the eastern part of the Great Dividing Range, 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 the Great Basin of Australia, there are abundant underground water resources. With just a little drilling, a large amount of water can gush out. This is also the origin of the name of the Great Artesian Basin.
Nearly 30 years have passed since the Great Artesian Basin was mentioned in 1886.
With the influx of immigrants from Australasia, water extraction in the Great Artesian Basin became extensive.
In the area where the northern part of the Murray River Basin overlaps the Great Artesian Basin, you can find more than a dozen drill holes, spewing out large amounts of water resources.
These water resources provide a large amount of water for Australasia's livestock industry and industry, and are the reason why Australasia's industry and agriculture have developed so rapidly.
However, excessive exploitation of water resources is always bad. Australasia is still short of water in general, especially in the central and western parts of Australia. As the population grows, the water shortage problem has become more and more serious.
Some boreholes used to supply mines, after the mineral resources were exhausted, these boreholes that were still spewing large amounts of water were ignored, wasting a lot of water.
According to estimates by the geographical survey team, although there is currently no shortage of water resources in the Great Artesian Basin and the Murray River Basin, if it continues to be wasted like this, Australasia will face a severe water crisis in up to 30 years.
This is also fortunate that the population of Australasia is less than 15 million so far. Otherwise, I am afraid that the water crisis will have to be brought forward.
Australasia is a very rich country with all kinds of mineral resources.
This does not mean that Australasia is without its shortcomings. Because the geographical location was relatively remote before, population has always been a big problem.
Coupled with the obstruction of the Great Dividing Range, water resources in Western Australia are very scarce.
Although Australia has more than 7 million square kilometers of Guangmao land, water problems are a hidden danger to the country's development, and may even directly restrict the country's development in the future.
Arthur had already anticipated this. Over the past ten years, he has encouraged the excavation of a large number of reservoirs and water storage areas in Australia, ensuring that Australian residents have enough domestic water and can provide it to industry. and agricultural use.
However, these reservoirs are still too scarce compared to the water consumption of an entire country. If Australasia wants to completely solve the water problem, at least for now, it is very important to save and cherish water resources.
In fact, New Guinea is very rich in water resources and has a lot of rainfall. But for at least 40 to 50 years, these water resources cannot be transported to Australia, which will not help Australia's water resources 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-south water diversion project.
In any case, water resources in Australia have always been a problem, and anyone must not be allowed to waste water resources unscrupulously.
Thinking of this, Arthur ordered people to call in the cabinet Prime Minister Kent and decided to do something about environmental protection.
Before Prime Minister Kent arrived, Arthur continued to look at this report to see the current problems in the Murray River Basin.
Over the course of two months, the geological survey team studied the causes of desertification and Gobi desertification in Western Australia and tentatively attributed the culprit to Australasia's abundant wildlife. As we all know, there are not many wild carnivores in Australia. Thylacines and wild dogs are the two largest 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 came into conflict with humans.
Thylacines have been hunted in Australia since colonial times. Some colonial governments even publicly offered rewards, with a reward of one pound for killing an adult thylacine and ten pence for killing an immature thylacine.
This resulted in tens of thousands of thylacines being killed during the colonial period. Although this policy did not continue after Arthur came to Australia, hunting thylacines has become a habit of many herders, and they can also protect their cattle and sheep.
Precisely because the number of wild carnivores in Australia is decreasing day by day, a large number of wild animals are spreading in a crazy way, causing serious damage to Australia's grasslands and promoting the formation of desertification.
The total number of wild animals such as hares, kangaroos, wild goats, camels, and wild boars is even in the billions, or billions.
The harm that such a large number of wild animals can do to Australian 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 in less than 20 years, making this plain of millions of square kilometers gradually become next door and desert.
Arthur had also heard about the proliferation of wildlife in Australia in later generations, but he did not expect it to be so serious more than 100 years ago.
No matter what, the development of the country is more important than anything else. Since these wild animals have seriously harmed Australian land, it is necessary to introduce quite strict restrictions to limit the number of wild animals.
A major reason for the proliferation of wild animals in Australia is actually Australians' lack of attention to Australia's native carnivores.
If the number of thylacines was sufficient, the problem of Australian wildlife would not be so serious, and would even endanger the survival of the country.
About ten minutes passed before Prime Minister Kent hurried over and knocked on the office door.
More than ten minutes was exactly the distance between the Government Office and the Royal Palace, which also meant that Prime Minister Kent rushed here non-stop after receiving Arthur's order.
After all, the communication between the palace and the Government Administration uses wired telegraph and wired telephone, and there is basically no delay in communication.
"Your Majesty!" After entering the office, Prime Minister Kent saluted Arthur respectfully.
"Sit down. Let's take a look at this report, Prime Minister Kent. It's really an exaggeration. Our current biological situation has become so serious that relevant laws must be introduced to restrict it." Arthur pointed to the report and asked Prime Minister Kent to have a look.
Seeing that Arthur was speaking very seriously and solemnly, Prime Minister Kent did not dare to be careless and picked up the report and read it carefully.
It begins with 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, the current poor ecological environment in this area is clearly listed, 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 of central Australia are undoubtedly more suitable for the development of the country than the hills of Southeast Asia.
Whether as 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, Prime Minister Kent couldn't help but be speechless, and said to Arthur without hesitation: "Your Majesty, it is indeed necessary to introduce a law to protect Australia and even the entire Australasia. The ecological environment."
Arthur nodded, threw the question directly to Prime Minister Kent, and said: "I will leave this task to you, Prime Minister Kent. My request is to first protect the wild carnivores in Australia. , especially the thylacine population."
"Secondly, significantly limit the number of wild animals in Australia, and if necessary, introduce corresponding incentive policies to encourage Australians to hunt wild herbivores. The fur of these wild animals can be Finished products, meat can also be processed into cans and become our food reserves, which will be exported to Europe in the future." "
From this point of view, these wild animals also have good economic value. When hunting wild animals, a certain industrial chain will be formed , the government and the royal family have funded the establishment of meat canneries, completely integrating wild herbivores into an industrial chain, which can not only solve the severe ecological and environmental problems we are currently facing, but also create considerable income for the country and the government. “
Needless to say, animal fur has a certain value. In addition to being made into various delicacies, the meat of wild animals is also made into various canned products and will be exported to Europe in the future.
This different type of meat can also be used to supplement future European armies. After all, you will get tired of eating the same kind of meat, right?
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(This should be the last chapter of Volume 4. Volume 5 will start tomorrow, a battle of war!)
(End of this chapter)