Evening star., 1949-05-15
Australia TVA
Gets Go-Ahead
Growing Industry Main
Reason for Starting
Huge Project
By WiiIiom Filter
By WilIiom Filter

SYDNEY .--AnStf AHA N 10 pesll
a vast hydroelectric scheme
similar TO Americas Tennessee
Valley Authority II will take at
least IS years 10 complete and cost
$74o 900 900. Ministers represent
ing the federal. New South Wales
and Victorian governments adopt
ed the plan at a Canberra confer
ence last week and agreed that
work should begin Immediately
The site OF the project Is the
Australian Alps southwark OF
Canberra on the borders OF Vic
toria and New South Wales. The
Snowy River and It's tributaries
are to be diverted. partly into the
Murray River. partly into the
Murrumbridgee River. Through a
series OF tunnels. racelines and
dams water will be fed TO 20 hydro
electric stations and then used for
further irrigation.
Long-Discusscd
Three factors influenced the
ministers in deciding TO proceed
with this project which has been
idly debated for years without
agreement being reached. Firstly.
Australia's electricity supply ik
totally inadequate for the nation q
increasing industrialization. Be-
fore the war Australia had 26.s4l
factories employing 5&2 900 work
ers. Today. because OF wartime ex-
pansion and the restrictions on
imports from America and other
hard currency" countries. the
factories total $1,000. employing
509. 200 persons. Production Is
worth 81. 900 900 900 against $si2,-
600. 900 in 1859. Existing power
stations are being expanded but
cannot keep pace with the mount
ing industrial and domestic power
demands, Today. the total gen.
Grating capacity OF all Australian
power stations Is 1851 900 kilo-
watts. The Snowy River diversion
project will add another 1900 900
kilowatts--practicaily doubling the
nations electric power resources.
Secondly. the Canberra Con-
ference had In mind the federal
governments large scale mmi-
grafton program which brought
In 10000 new settlers last year.
aims at los 900 this year. and has
long-range target Of more than
doubling Australia's 1000 900 pop
ulation by the end Of this century.
The Snowy River scheme not only
provides for the electric power
needs OF this contemplated en-
larged population. but II Ia n
gigantic public works scheme re-
ouiring thousands Of workers
which could be speeded UP 10 pro-
vide useful work II there should
be a business recession. At
present Australia Is booming. with
factories working TO capacity and
farming exports. especially WOOL,
fetching record prices In the
worlds markets. Nobody believes
that such an era OF super pros
perity will last forever and both
federal and state governments are
wisely preparing TO meet any col
lapse similar 10 that Of the 1929
30 depression
Lons.Ranse Plans
Thirdly. the ministers who
adopted the Snowy River project
were impressed by the long range
defense plans associated with II.
the Federal Minister for works
N. Lennon. told the conference
that Austraiias Eeneral role In
commonwealth defense was 10 BE-
come the British arsenal In the
Pacific. That objective ~aa not
achievable with her present elec-
sric power resources, Further. ai
present Austxalta's heavy indus
tries are concentrated In New
castle and Port Kembla. both OF
which are on the New South
Wales coast and highly vsllrSrahle
TO sea aud air attack. He recalled
the wartime coastal xneiitnx oy
japanese submarines and their
abortaye sortse inside Sydney Hay-
Dor and pointed out tsse necessity
Of decentraisxsng the defense In
duxsrses and. II possible. uf psittsrx
some of them undergrosand. Min
ist<rs aasd sitter tsse conferences
that new munitions factories and
associated industries would he
huais In the Australian Alps area.
s0me Of which would ne trans
ferred from Britain ~ aocn ~ th<
new poweY suppiy became asatj~