The Rise Of Australasia

Chapter 153: Chapter 148: Population Explosion

“In our five industrial zones, there are more than 20,000 Australian workers and over 30,000 Indigenous Peoples working, and the industrial output and volume account for the vast majority of Australia’s total industrial output.” Minister of Industry Pierre said with a smile.

Industrial zones are important sites established by the Australian Government for industrial development. After more than two years of lengthy development, most of Australia’s industries have been relocated to industrial zones, and industries scattered in other places are not very large, especially in comparison to these five large industrial zones.

Currently, Australia’s industries have a trend of centralized development, resulting in an increasing number and scale of industrial zones.

However, there are some problems. Although Australia has vast land and abundant mineral resources, it does not mean that there are no issues with industrial development.

In addition to solving the population problem by using the number of Indigenous Peoples, Australia also has a slightly thorny problem – there is not enough water resources.

The development of the industry requires a lot of water resources, and people also consume a lot of water resources.

At present, due to the relatively small scale of the industry and insufficient population, the problem of water scarcity has not yet emerged.

But once Australia’s population size grows, it will become a thorny problem for the Australian government.

In order to resolve this issue earlier, under Arthur’s command, the industrial sector has begun to construct large reservoirs and water storage areas near the industrial zones. The stored water will be used for industry, and some cleaner water storage areas will also be used for agriculture and people’s lives.

With the efforts of many Indigenous Peoples, the construction of reservoirs and water storage areas has been very effective. At present, each of Australia’s five industrial zones has a small reservoir that can meet the water needs of the industrial zone even when water resources are scarce.

Of course, Australia will build more water storage areas in the future to completely improve Australia’s water usage problem.

After all, Australia’s population is about to soar, and the water problem needs to be resolved sooner or later.

Industrial zones have provided more than 20,000 jobs in Australia, which is good news for those with lower incomes in Australia.

The incomes of these industrial zones are all above the average Australian income, and they are also the focus of attention for Arthur and the Australian government.

While the income level may not be high compared to the European powers, at least the workers do not have to worry about being exploited too much, and basic welfare and salary distribution can be guaranteed.

“In addition to the industrial zones, we have discovered a large number of new mineral resources in many areas of Australia. These include coal mines, iron mines, silver mines, bauxite mines, petroleum, and so on. In particular, coal and iron reserves have increased by about three times since the end of 1900.” Minister Pierre continued to report.

Arthur was not surprised by the continuous discovery of these mineral resources. Australia is truly a country sitting in a minecart, and the richness of mineral resources is unimaginable.

Keep in mind that in the highly developed economy and industry of later generations, Australia can still obtain a considerable income by exporting a large amount of mineral resources each year, and there is no sign of mineral resource depletion. This alone proves the richness of Australia’s mineral resources.

“This is the annual report of the Ministry of Industry this year, Your Highness, please comment.” After reporting all the data in hand, Minister Pierre respectfully handed all the materials to Arthur and said.

“Well, the Ministry of Industry is doing a good job, but we must not stop there. In the new year, our plans to jointly set up car factories with the British Empire and German Empire will also begin to be implemented. In addition to the production needs of our existing domestic car factories, our demand for steel production is not low. I hope that in the new year, our total steel output can reach one million tons, and the steel production output can exceed at least 350,000 tons, so as to initially meet our demand for steel production.” Arthur nodded indifferently, took a rough glance at the complete report, and instructed.

Reaching a total steel output of one million tons may not seem easy, but it is simple for Australia’s industrial sector.

Keep in mind that in 1902, Australia’s total steel output increased by nearly 500,000 tons, reaching a staggering 680,000 tons.

This figure is only 320,000 tons away from one million tons, and based on the industrial development of last year, it is not difficult.

The same is true for steel production output. The new target set by Arthur is not much compared to the growth rate in 1902, but whether it can reach one million tons is indeed one of the standards for measuring whether a country is an industrial country or not.

Looking at all the powerful nations, the total steel output of any country is as high as several million tons. Even the most critical steel production output is generally above one million tons.

Compared with these powerful nations, Australia’s industry is just getting started. Although it has a large number of industrial equipment from Britain and assistance from Germany, it will take a lot of time to catch up with these countries or go hand in hand with them.

“In addition to the excellent performance of the Ministry of Industry, Australia’s population in 1902 has also seen a significant increase. At the beginning of 1902, Australia’s total population was approximately 3,996,200, and it has now grown to 4,263,900, with a population growth rate of approximately 6.7%. Our total population has officially exceeded 4 million and is working towards the initial goal of 5 million.” After the report of the Ministry of Industry was completed, Prime Minister Evan returned to the center of the podium and continued the Cabinet Government’s general report.

“In 1902, our immigrant population reached over 190,000, making it the largest year for immigrants to date. Among them, there were about 60,000 immigrants from the British Empire, about 70,000 from the German Empire, and others from other European countries, such as France, Spain, Italy, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Our newborn population was about 94>ooo, and the death population was 23,000. The ratio of newborn babies has almost doubled, which is also due to the significant increase in Australia’s per capita income. People have stable jobs and generous salaries to have enough energy and time for childbirth, and they can also afford to raise newborns.” Prime Minister Evan reported.