The Rise Of Australasia - Chapter 275

Chapter 275: Chapter 248: Ensure Quality First, Then Pursue Speed

The large-scale comprehensive industrial base planned by the Ministry of Industry is located to the west of the border between West Australia and South Australia, around the small city of Leonora and the northeastern part of Perth.

The area is rich in mineral resources, with large coal mines, iron mines, oil fields, two large gold mines, and a nickel mine nearby.

Further north of this region, there are super-large iron and gold mines, as well as manganese mines; and to the northeast, there are bauxite mines, copper mines, and more.

Such rich mineral resources are destined to make this a great place to develop an integrated comprehensive industrial base.

In fact, Australia later had non-ferrous metal and iron and steel industry bases in this area, without wasting the mineral resources of the land.

Of course, the initially planned industrial base is not that large, and its scale is only the same as the conventional industrial base in the southeast.

According to the plan, the first step of the integrated comprehensive large-scale industrial base construction project is expected to cover at least 1,000 acres of land, and the Ministry of Industry’s budget is about 6 million Australian dollars.

If it is successfully built, this industrial area will have at least 50 standardized factories and ten large storage areas.

The factories will occupy about 900 acres, and the remaining less than 100 acres of land will be used for roads and some green plants, as well as the initial treatment of factory pollution.

Because it is an integrated large-scale comprehensive industrial area, its industrial development is not limited to the iron and steel industry and simple chemical industry, but also includes traditional industries such as coal, machinery, and textiles.

Arthur’s ultimate goal is to build this industrial area into a highly concentrated industrial base with large enterprises at its core, similar to Germany’s Ruhr Industrial Zone, the United Kingdom’s Midlands Industrial Zone, and the United States’ Northeast Industrial Zone.

If the first two phases of construction of this industrial area are successfully completed and production starts smoothly, and the population of Australasia exceeds ten million, then Australasia will have the qualifications to compete for the status of a power.

Of course, even if it becomes a power at that time, it will still be at the bottom of the powers, and its say will not be very high.

To truly become a power with sufficient say, a strong army is an essential condition, in addition to developed industry and economy.

Before the number of Australasian ground forces reaches 500,000 and the scale of the navy reaches the top five in the world, it is basically impossible to become an acknowledged power.

Because the first phase of the integrated industrial area construction is near the small city of Leonora in West Australia, this industrial area is named Leonora Large Industrial Base.

The idea of building such a large-scale integrated industrial base had been approved by the cabinet several months ago, so after the time entered 1908, the construction of the integrated industrial base officially began.

For the residents of the small town of Leonora, things began to change from the second half of 1907.

The number of people coming and going near the town increased, with large and small exploration teams and officials everywhere, all for the purpose of selecting the best industrial area location.

At first, it was just officials from the West Australian State Government occasionally checking in, and finally, it evolved into Minister of Industry Pierre personally overseeing the site.

A few days after Minister Pierre arrived, news came that His Majesty the King was coming to inspect it personally.

This directly alarmed all the members of the West Australian State Government, and after a hectic preparation period, Governor Alexander Lowe, accompanied by some state government officials, the mayor of Leonora, and all representatives of West Australia, respectfully waited outside the town.

Not long after, at around one in the afternoon, Arthur’s motorcade arrived at the small town of Leonora.

It wasn’t easy; the journey had started in Sydney, passing through Melbourne, Adelaide, and Augustaport, before getting off the train near West Australian State and then taking a car brought by the train.

More than two days of train travel and more than an hour of car travel made Arthur’s whole body extremely sore.

If it weren’t for being in public, Arthur would really want to stretch his body and relax, and also exercise his muscles and bones a bit.

“Your Majesty!”

Seeing Arthur get out of the car, Governor Alexander Lowe hurriedly stepped forward and greeted him respectfully.

“Don’t be so restrained, Governor Alexander Lowe,” Arthur said with a smile.

Although Arthur is only 25 years old now, his seven years of ruling experience as a monarch has given him considerable prestige and deterrence.

For example, even political veterans like Prime Minister Evan dare not be disrespectful in front of Arthur.

Because smart people know who the real master of this country is and who holds the power of life and death in this country.

“Let’s go and have a look at the location of our industrial base,” Arthur said with a smile.

This comprehensive industrial base is a prerequisite for Australasia’s industrial development to advance further, which is why Arthur places so much importance on it.

Hearing Arthur’s request, Governor Alexander Lowe nodded repeatedly in agreement and personally led the way for everyone to go.

Their entourage included not only the Minister of Industry Pierre in charge of industry, but also the Minister of Transportation, Finance Minister, Minister of Public Security, and the Ministers of Education and Health.