Australia's Blueprint for Economic Development

The New Citizen April 2006 Page 1

THE NEW For More Information: CONTACT Citizens Electoral Council 1-800-636-432 PO Box 376 Coburg VIc 3058

Vol 5 No 6 April 2006 $10.00 (inc GST) Print Post: 30601/00002 Facing the Depression: Australia’s Blueprint for Economic Development his special issue of the Committee on Communica- states. Their power now is TNew Citizen is an ex- tions, Transport and Micro- such that there is only one panded form of our Febru- economic Reform of the Fed- hope to defeat them, and that ary 2002 Special Report, eral Parliament found that depends upon the titanic po- The Infrastructure Road to “Without urgent and substan- litical battle now being Recovery: Let’s Build Our tial investment in this infra- fought in the United States, Way Out of the Depression! structure, major sections of between the Synarchy and Since then, the Synarchy the national rail network are those forces in both the Dem- (Sin´-ar-kee—the financial likely to become irretrieva- ocratic and Republican par- oligarchy) has continued to ble within ten years.” That ties allied with economist loot Australia, its citizens, was eight years ago, and lit- and statesman Lyndon H. and its infrastructure, and so tle has been done. Our power LaRouche, Jr. The globalists to destroy any hope for a supplies—now largely de- here, such as Howard, and better future for ourselves, regulated—are grossly inad- Labor as typified by Beazley, and for our children and equate for a modern nation, are mere puppets for Tony grandchildren. Everything often subjecting us to black- Blair and Cheney/Bush. that we said then is even outs, brown-outs, or power re- When the big boys in Lon- more right today, and more strictions like a Third World don and Washington go, urgent. nation. their toadies here can be de- Our health system has con- feated as well. For histori- tinued to disintegrate, not to The Way Out cal reasons elaborated with- mention the waiting time be- This New Citizen propos- in, the U.S. is a unique na- fore you can even manage to es a well thought-out, inspir- tion on this planet by vir- get into the hospital. We are ing vision of what our nation tue of the way it was found- facing the worst water crisis could be, and, indeed, must ed, as dedicated to the Gen- in 100 years, because we nev- be, if it is to survive. What is eral Welfare of all its citi- er developed adequate water the likelihood of that vision zens—as specified in the supplies. Our education is a actually coming true, you Preamble to the U.S. Con- joke: Leaving aside its poor might ask? There are two an- stitution—for which pur- quality, what young person swers to that. First, if you just pose the control of banking without wealthy parents can sit on your bum and don’t or- and credit was vested in the afford a uni degree often cost- ganise with the Citizens Elec- hands of the U.S. Congress, Yongwang, Nuclear Power Station, Korea ing $100,000 or more? And, toral Council to make it hap- the elected representatives with the exception of the Al- pen, then obviously it never of the people. In Europe, in Australia can only solve its critical water and power shortages through the extensive use of nuclear energy. ice to Darwin line and a cou- will. But second, this vision Australia and in most other like our own are mere pup- How to Capitalise a Recov- the next fifty years. We ei- ple of smaller State projects, can not be implemented with- nations, a private banking pets for such cabals. In his ery, LaRouche outlines the ther fight alongside La- our railroad system has con- in Australia alone. The Synar- cabal controls the central March 2, 2006 speech in strategy for victory over the Rouche, or we face a plane- tinued to disintegrate. Al- chy has fostered globalisa- bank and thus all credit. Pri- Berlin, Germany and in his Synarchy. He also outlines tary New Dark Age. The ready in 1998, the House of tion worldwide in order to vate banker-controlled par- January 19, 2006 article, an extraordinary vision for choice is indeed that stark, Representatives Standing loot and destroy nation liamentary governments Deficits As Capital Gains: the future of this planet for as you will see. LaRouche: A Vision for the Next Fifty Years The following are ex- Because the human process- been a decline in the actual cerpts from a speech by Lyn- es are not animal processes. per-capita physical product A Typical Collapse Function don H. LaRouche, Jr. in You can not apply animal production! Berlin, Germany on March statistics to human behav- If you look at the figures 2, 2006. iour, because human beings in the United States, county have will, they have the abil- by county, from 1977 on, he present system, the ity to change. … you see a consistent decline Tpresent world mone- Competent economics is in the economy. For exam- tary-financial system, as it based not on financial data. ple, take part of the state of took shape especially dur- The idea that economies are New York, the western part, ing the latter part of the run by financial data is like toward Lake Erie; take the 1960s, and especially in the playing Monopoly, the western part of Pennsylva- course of the 1970s, is now board game Monopoly. And nia, which used to be the doomed. Now, in econom- economies don’t work that steel area; take Michigan Lyndon H. LaRouche, Jr. ics, you can never predict way. What happens to mon- which used to be the great an exact day of an event. ey, does not mean that the automobile centre; take ers and things of that sort— You can’t overlook the fact General Welfare is improved Ohio, another big automo- any kind of job to keep them that we have human beings if the amount of money is bile centre; take Indiana, an- occupied, and at very low inside economies. And increased—as you see now. other centre: It’s a disaster wages. [See p.2 for map.] therefore, statisticians are The curve, [see graph, rt.] area! And you look at the So that, what’s happened always wrong when it comes since the 1971-72 period, areas that used to have phys- over this period, is, the shift to economics. Any statisti- the curve has been a con- ical productivity, now have into what has been praised cian, anyone who believes stant increase, a secular in- none. People are living on as the post-industrial, or in simple methods that are crease in the amount of make-work, cheap labor as services economy, has been taught in accounting cours- money and financial aggre- make-work. Going from pro- an economic disaster! … LaRouche’s “Triple Curve”. It depicts how the financiers loot the real physi- es and in economics cours- gate in existence. But dur- ductive employment, into The economy is collaps- cal economy (bottom curve), in favour of Financial Aggregates (stocks, es in universities today, is ing the same period, espe- what’s called “services,” ing, and the problems are, bonds, derivatives, etc.). Monetary Aggregates (money supply) must be bound to be incompetent in cially over the late 1970s, cheap unskilled services, that people have tended to issued so that ever-increasing Financial Aggregates can be turned over any forecast they make: radiating into the 1980s, has working as restaurant work- (bought and sold); when the former curve crosses the latter, a hyperinflationary Continued Page 2 blow-out is unleashed, as in Germany 1923, or at present. Web: http://www.cecaust.com.au Email: [email protected] Page 2 The New Citizen April 2006

From Page 1 believe in financial statistics, and government reports based on financial and related statistics. Which are in every case, fraudulent. Gov- ernments are trying to succeed in managing a population politically. Therefore, they want to project figures that help them control public opinion. And therefore, they manufacture their figures, by ma- nipulation of financial statistics, as if an increase in the amount of money, or the increase in the amount of nominal wages, in terms of dollars or euro, these days, would say, “this is an improvement.” When, actually, if you look at the content, you look at the rate of in- flation as measured in physical 50 to 99.99 25 to 50 goods, you find there’s a constant 10 to 25 deterioration. And in the United 0 to 10 States, that’s the case. Now, the other problem, here, is that we had a great crash in Europe Highly-risky derivatives dwarf banks’ other assets. Derivatives were illegal in both Australia in the course of the 1920s and and the U.S. until about a decade ago because they were not only gambling, but were side- 1930s. It built up in various ways; bets on gambling. it was a product of the Versailles Treaty arrangement [at the end of the banks! We made a qualified WWI], which was somewhat, sort exception to that in the formation of like a pioneer of the [globalist] of the Federal Reserve System. But Maastricht Treaty of today. And so, in our system, it is the Federal gov- it was declining. And in this peri- ernment, under the Constitution, od, from 1929 to 1933, until Roo- that controls the emission and reg- sevelt was inaugurated as President, ulation of money! So therefore, un- under Hoover, there was a 50% der our system, if the government physical collapse in the U.S. econ- creates state credit, with an Act of omy—as there was something Congress authorising the govern- comparable here in Germany, in the ment to form this credit, the Feder- same period. al government, the Executive branch, through the Treasury, can 50 to 99.99 The Roosevelt Miracle issue this credit for investment. 25 to 50 10 to 25 From that period on, Franklin 0 to 10 Roosevelt, going back to the tra- Long-term Credit for Infra- ditions of his ancestors—Isaac structure Roosevelt, for example, back from Now, the way it works, and the the time of Hamilton [America’s way it’s going to have to work in first Treasury Secretary], and some the coming period, to get out of other precedents—took a U.S. this great world depression which economy, which was shattered, in we’re in now—we’re just waiting the depths of unemployment, with Franklin Delano Roosevelt, U.S. President, for the shoe to drop for places like a 50% collapse of physical output, 1933-1945 Japan, on the overnight lending and he transformed this in a short rate, for the day when the hedge period of time, into the most powerful economy the world had ever funds start to collapse—but, what erful economy the world had ever seen. But we also were able to save we’re going to have to do, is, we’re The former industrial heartland of the U.S, home to the auto, steel and machine tool seen. the world: Because, nobody’s cur- going to have to create a great industries, among others. Globalisation and the drive for a “post-industrial society” have It was not the war, quite contrary rency was worth anything, except mass of long-term state credit, on destroyed the area’s high-wage, high-skilled jobs in favour of low-wage hamburger flipping or to myth, that built up the power of the U.S. dollar. And Roosevelt in- long-term account, not annual ac- no jobs at all. the United States. The war was a troduced a system which was count. big cost: We had 16 to 17 million based—we had nothing to do with The leading edge of this invest- going to have to make another have to change—it’s going to have people in military service, the larg- Keynes. People in Europe will say ment of credit, now as under Roo- change in our energy policy, which to be done in Europe, too. The in- est military force ever fielded on it was a Keynesian system: The sevelt, will be in the state sector, will mean we’ll be using hydrogen- troduction of hydrogen-based fu- the planet; we sustained that with Bretton Woods system was not a the public sector, where the Feder- based fuels, to replace our depend- els generated here is going to be tons of materiel per person, per sol- Keynesian system. European econ- al government—I’ll give you an ency upon imported petroleum crucial. It’s a politically crucial dier, around the world. This was an omies are based on monetary sys- example: I have one proposed products and so forth, in the future. problem here. It will be in other enormously costly venture. This tems, in which, in general, the gov- piece of legislation, emergency We have to. We’re going to hydro- parts of Europe, as well. was not a war-profiteering venture. ernment is a subordinate of a cen- legislation, which is kicking gen-based fuel automobiles. Japan So, this means that we can regen- In war, you lose money. If you fight tral bank. The central bank is largely around among members of the is already doing that. There are erate the economy, which is col- a war for more than two years, a creature controlled by the private Congress, members of the Senate: plans in the United States to do the lapsing in the United States. The you’re crazy or you’re ruined, be- financial interests. They control, in And that is, one large project, an same thing. With an 800 MW reac- lower 80% of family-income brack- cause it will drain you—in more most times, unless government is integral project in itself, to take the tor of this type, you can actually ets have experienced a disaster, ways than one, as you see in the very powerful and has a lot of sup- question of the national public generate hydrogen-based fuels, lo- since about 1976-77. And if you case in Iraq. A silly ruinous war, that port, they control the government, transportation and power systems, cally. Which means that you have look, county by county, across the went into asymmetric formation, because they tell the government under one long-term credit ar- control of your supplies, within the territory of the United States, you and is now destroying that whole what they can do and what they rangement. You’re talking about es- territory. see the losses, the transformation section of the world by its radiated can’t do. sentially 30 years of credit, to re- So, you have a multiple-purpose from a productive economy, to a effects. build—we don’t have a rail sys- reactor, which produces among its collapsing economy. And poverty. Well, this was a miracle. We State Credit vs. Money tem any more to speak of. It’s been products, such things as fuels. We You see the collapse of health-care, emerged from the war, as not only Now, the biggest problem that destroyed. We’ve got to put it back. will convert automobiles largely to the collapse of medical facilities in the leading nation, the most pow- this represents, in times like this, We’re going to have to go to a mag- hybrids, which in one cycle, the general; the collapse of schools. in times of a great financial crisis, lev-type system for trunk lines, on chemical cycle, will depend upon Filth, decay, all over the place, is the ability to create credit. If you rails. [See p. 32 for mag-lev.] Our hydrogen-based fuels. Aircraft, the whole parts of the country that were The New Citizen try to create credit by private bank- airline system is collapsing. You same thing, they’re hydrogen- once rich, prosperous, in the sense ing, you’re going to fail. That’s how know, since power stations gener- based, because you might not want of the normal standard of living, fascism came easily to Europe, be- ally are 30-year investments, about to use pure hydrogen, but you want are collapsing. cause the private banking system that order of magnitude, you gen- some stabilizing element in it. So, we’re going to have to have, Published & printed by: was orchestrated to fail on that. But erally have to finance them on 25 So, we have to do that. We have as Roosevelt did, but on a larger Citizens Media Group Pty Ltd it couldn’t work anyway. In the to 30 years credit. So, you have to to change. The world is going to scale, long-term investment large- 595 Sydney Rd Coburg Vic 3058 have credit for 25 to 30 PO Box 376 Coburg Vic 3058 United States, the advantage was, ACN: 010 904 757 we have the American System, not years, issued by the Tel: 03 9354 0544 Fax: 03 9354 0166 the European system. The Ameri- government, in this Editor can System is based on state cred- case, to build a power Craig Isherwood it, not a monetary system. Europe- station. Staff Writers an systems are regulated by mone- We’re going to have Jeremy Beck, Robert Barwick tary systems, which means finan- to use a lot of nuclear Noelene Isherwood, Rhys McGuckin cier interests in the Venetian tradi- power, which we USA Bureau tion, essentially more or less con- backed off from, back Allen Douglas trol governments—directly or in- in the 1970s. We’ll directly. Private banking groups, as probably be using The New Citizen newspaper is the predators, often control govern- things in the fission official publication for Special & Fea- area of high-temperature reports for the federally regis- ments, as you see in Germany to- tered political party, Citizens Elec- day, and other parts of the world ture gas-cooled reac- toral Council of Australia. today. They’re going in, gobbling tors, somewhat mod- Copies of this and past editions can up things, gobbling up industries, eled on the pioneering be purchased as single copies by destroying assets, hedge-fund raids work done here on the telephoning 1-800-636-432, Mon - Fri Jülich model, which 9.30 - 5.00 pm or by writing to Citi- on all kinds of assets in this coun- zens Media Group Pty Ltd at the try and other countries. will probably be on the above postal address. In the United States, we have a lower order of 120-200 different system: We don’t have a MW for ordinary use, Website: monetary system, we have a credit because they’re small system. Under our Constitution, the stations and they can www.cecaust.com.au issue of money, and the control of be quickly put into The Bank of England’s longtime head, Montagu Norman, installed Hitler in power in the 1930s, and money, is by the government, not place. But, we’re also helped prepare a fascist coup for Australia, in case the ALP adopted Roosevelt-style economic policies. tion for Europe, in terms of econo- The New Citizen April 2006 Page 3 my. We must not have globalisa- of people and skills, in creating in- tion. Globalisation is death. It’s a frastructure, in creating productive form of imperialism, under which employment, in technological im- no one has any sovereignty over provement, in scientific progress. anything; and groups of bankers, This is where wealth comes from. like the Lazard Group in France, But you have idiots, you have run the world—and eat the world, systems, who have these monetary and eat the people in it. So there- theories, they tell you how money fore, it has to be sovereign nation- is showing you how the economy states. is working. And you look at us to- But, our role, essentially, is to day, and you say, “how is money look at the Eurasian continent, as working? What is the average con- one big unit, the biggest unit on dition of life? What’s the level of this planet; of the greatest amount employment? What’s the standard of the world’s population. You of living? What’s the health-care have, at one end, you have Europe, level?” All of these things—obvi- and Germany at the pivot in Eu- ously, money is not a measure of rope, because it’s the most ad- performance. Money is a means of vanced, potentially the most ad- exchange, which is very useful and vanced centre for Eurasia, which very necessary as a means of ex- then, reaches out, reaches eastward. change, which enables you to let [See map of the Eurasian Land- people function freely within an Bridge, p. 5.] It reaches into, reach- economy, and see how they per- es through Belarus, through Rus- The revival of Plato’s philosophical and sci- th form, within an economy. That’s the sia, through Kazakhstan, so forth, entific method unleashed the 15 Century Golden Renaissance. element of freedom of the individ- into Central Asia; reaches to Chi- ual in the economy. But progress is na, goes down to India. One line, Therefore, you’ve got to increase made by scientific and technologi- you can visit—most of this area is the productivity per capita. To in- cal progress, or the equivalent in totally undeveloped. It needs decrease the productivity, means artistic progress, Classical artistic velopment. It has vast resources changing the standard of living, progress which develops the hu- The first headquarters of the Commonwealth Bank at Martin Place, Sydney. The Common- hidden under the ground in this upgrading it, increasing productiv- man mind, and develops the abili- wealth Bank was intended to be the cornerstone of national sovereignty, and as Sir Denison area, but in an undeveloped area. ity through technology. It means ty of people to understand other Miller, its first governor said, “the greatest bank in the southern hemisphere.” You don’t have the population science-driver programs: It means people and work with them. there to develop the territory, the the end of the Greens. Because you But when we measure economy, ly in infrastructure investments, been improvement in India, but it’s vast resoures. can’t survive under Greens, you we say, “What are the statistics such as rail, power, improvement not secure. These are not the wave Now, at the same time, if we do a can’t live under them. ... showing us?” And you look at the of our aircraft system, and things of of the future! Not on their own. job of saving China, saving India, economy, you say, “What does the that sort. … Because, in India you have 70% from the curse of what happens to The Fallacy of “Money” economy tell us about the statisti- So, we can do that. We can, with of the population is desperately the United States and Europe, what But, look at the typical situation: cians?” The economy tells us these our system, simply by following it, poor. Why are they desperately happens then? Well! The average The idea that money is a measure statisticians are incompetent, or by using our Constitution, and our poor? Because the product of India Chinese is not going to be content of economy, a measure of perform- wasting their time, just to please credit system, we can mobilise our can not buy enough to sustain im- with using the level of raw materi- ance in economy, is a piece of idio- somebody with some figures. It’s forces, to bring our nation out of provement of the population, of the als that they use now! The average cy. Money is only useful as a means not solving anything. the gutter. 70%. In China, you have a some- Indian, is not going to be content of exchange. The first time that what different, but comparable sit- with that: If they want a modern money was used in the method pre- Physical Economy The U.S. is the Key uation, which is complicated by the standard of living, their consump- scribed by the U.S. Constitution, Economy is measured in physi- Now, in Europe, you can’t do it fact that China is not really pro- tion of what we call raw materials was in the 17th Century in the Mas- cal terms, but not simply physical right now: Because, the political ducing national product, not much. is going to increase. With that, you sachusetts Bay Colony, where pri- terms. You can approximate the ef- system is based on a monetary sys- What it’s doing, is, it’s taking de- can go into the areas like Asia, you or to 1688-89, when the British fect by looking at physical effects, tem, not a credit system. What hap- signs, of product of other countries, can find large areas of deposits monarchy cracked down on them, which are important. But the im- pened at the end of the war, in the producing with cheap labor and there, which are untapped and they invented a scrip which was portant thing is, you’re always draw- reconstruction of Europe, was, when some technology, on the basis of available, just as the Russians have used as an internal currency inside ing down the richest resources. So, the U.S. dollar was the only curren- those designs; putting a product into their gas projects and so forth, out the Massachusetts Bay Colony. how do you maintain an economy, cy worthwhile, under Roosevelt’s the world market, which then is sold, of there. Now, the Massachusetts Bay Colo- if you’re drawing down the richest provision before he died, the crea- and delivered to and polished, in ny, contrary to some myths in Eu- resources? If you’re doing the same tion of the Bretton Woods system other markets. What happens to Chi- Creating Raw Materials rope, was actually much more ad- thing all the time, you couldn’t enabled the United States to facili- na and India, in a somewhat differ- But that’s not going to suffice. vanced than in England. As a mat- possibly improve: It’s only through tate the building up of new curren- ential way, if the U.S. and Europe go Because, these are marginal re- ter of fact, at the time of the Ameri- scientific and technological cies, or renewed currencies in Eu- into a collapse—the primary markets sources. Take one case: Take fossil can Revolution, the average stand- progress, and its application to rope, and the creation of a credit for the China products? The prima- water. [See p. 22.] Have you thought ard of living and productivity of production, its application to the system largely imitating what we’d ry sources of the credit for this busi- about how much of the fresh water, the typical American was twice that conditions of life, its application done under Roosevelt in the Unit- ness? What happens to India? You used in various parts of the planet of the United Kingdom. England to public health—these are the ed States, to build up in Germany, have a social crisis, immediately! As is fossil water? That is, water left was a backward country. As a mat- ways, in which wealth has to be to build up in France, and build up you can see in Asia. behind from the melting of the gla- ter of fact, the Industrial Revolu- measured. It must be measured in elsewhere, in northern Italy. So therefore, they’re not inde- ciers. For example, you’ve got some tion was brought to England, by the physical effects, and also in the Therefore, in the past, in the last pendent. They are not the wave of stuff that’s been down there for 2 Benjamin Franklin! rate of improvement, as measurable crisis, the United States was able in the future, that’s going to prosper if million years, under India—it’s So, it is not the money system, in physical effects. the post-war crisis, to help save Eu- we collapse! If European civilisa- kind of salty, by now. But, you have that generates growth. Money is not Money must be measured by rope, by the credit supplied, on the tion collapses, there is nothing for Australia, depending upon fossil a measure of performance: Money physical effects, not physical effects model of the United States. We the rest of the world. Except Hell. water. Most of the world, to one is a means of exchange, it’s a means by money. didn’t give a lot of money (we gave Therefore, we have to resume a degree or another, depends upon of circulation. Performance is pro- That’s the issue here. So, what some money); but that wasn’t it: role which is bequeathed to us, since fossil water. Fossil water means, it’s vided, not by investment of mon- you have therefore, is accounting We gave credit-backing, stability before the Peloponnesian War: The not a renewable resource. You be- ey; performance is by investment to European and other currencies. role bequeathed to us, implicitly, gin to get land subsidence, from Continued Page 10 And it was that stability, and the by the writings of Plato. European drawing down fossil water. ability for example with the Kredi- civilisation, which was reborn in Therefore, we’re going to have to tanstalt fuer Wiederaufbau [Bank for that form, fully, with the Renais- make water. Not chemically, but Reconstruction] here in Germany, to sance, the Italian Renaissance, the we’re going to have to process wa- do the job, to do the rebuilding. ... 15th Century—which is modern ter, to provide supplies. We cannot civilisation, modern technology, depend upon the present system. The Myth of China and India modern science, which we in the The same thing applies to a lot Now, if we do that, and the Unit- United States represent, too. There- of other fossil material, in the Bio- ed States cooperates, say, with Eu- fore, it is our obligation, to take this sphere, such as minerals, and things rope on that, under those condi- legacy we have, almost as a trust of that sort. As we draw down, more tions, then we have a further per- for humanity, and to make the ben- and more, we go to marginal re- spective: We have people who have efit of this legacy available to peo- sources. These resources are going the myth, that somehow Asian ple in Asia. to become more expensive, physi- economies are now the economies cally, in terms of current standards of the future. That’s a myth. There The Eurasian Continent of production, by labor. What are has been great improvement in That means, that we’re going to we going to do about it? We’re go- China, but it’s not secure. There’s have to go to a Eurasian orienta- ing to have to go to a high-level, science-driver program: We’re going to have to do, what is implicitly in the work of Vernadsky. [See p. 6.] We’re going to have to consider—instead of drawing down limited natural resources, we’re going to reorganise the planet, to regen- erate and produce the natural resources we require. First of all, so we supply the needs, the aspirations of a growing population, particularly the poor, who don’t want to become poorer all the time. They want improvements; they want to look upward. In order to use marginal resources, more expensive resources, you’ve got to increase the productive powers of labor. Other- wise the cost of raw materials will be too high. It will just defeat your The seeming competitiveness of the Chinese economy, in a globalised world, depends upon purpose, in trying to improve their keeping about 70% of the population in poverty. Reversing this will require a huge increase lives. Artist’s depiction of a modern seawater desalination tower. Nuclear and thermonuclear- in per-capita consumption of raw materials, among other things. powered desalination could create literal rivers of fresh water. Page 4 The New Citizen April 2006 DEFICITS AS CAPITAL GAINS How To Capitalize A Recovery by Lyndon H. LaRouche, Jr. December 19, 2005

The following is excerpted from physical investments. in promoting the investment in de- Executive Intelligence Review, Thus, our American System of velopment and maintenance of es- January 27, 2006. political-economy, unlike those sential public elements of the na- prevalent in Europe still today, is tion’s basic economic infrastruc- onsider the challenge facing not lawfully based, constitution- ture, while promoting long-term Cthe virtually financially bank- ally, on a so-called “independent investment in private entrepreneur- rupt U.S. and European economies central banking system,” which is ial ventures of a type which are to today… Focus upon the case of a mere monetary system; rather, our be desired in the general interest. the U.S.A. itself. Ask, then: What constitutional system requires a This action is premised on the cru- is a competent approach to estab- Federal monopoly over the utter- cial, constitutional principle of our lishing and maintaining a U.S. ance, and management of a system system, that the creation and issue Federal Capital Budget—as dis- of national credit. When our con- of legal currency, is a monopoly tinct from a slop-jar package stitutional system of national credit of the Federal government. This is which lumps short-term and long- is effectively defended, the Feder- also the case in practice when, as term balances together indiffer- al government utters currency, as under Franklin Roosevelt’s Presi- ently, in a single silly lump, as a credit, for maintaining levels of dency, devices such as the Recon- common budget? It must not be a useful employment, including the struction Finance Corporation budget like that of recent U.S. na- provision of essential capital, in (RFC), were used as a vehicle for tional practice, such as that of the form of credit, for basic eco- accomplishing this result. The Bushes “41” and “43,” one whose nomic infrastructure. However, Franklin Roosevelt Administra- U.S. Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamil- outcome suggests it might have competent followers of our Ameri- tion, and the combination of the ton founded America’s First National Bank. been designed by unbalanced can System today, will also empha- Eisenhower “post-Sputnik” and The CEC’s book (r.) features a draft bill for a minds. new national bank. About half of the annual product of a healthy modern nation- state economy, should be tied up Railroad mileage of New South Wales and Victoria in capital and related expenditures 1933 (a) and 2000 (b) for creation and maintenance of investments in long-term physical (a) improvements of what should be viewed as the public sector of the total economy. [Australia spends a miniscule 3-4% on infrastructure, not counting health. See p. 6.] Under our republic’s original, and continuing American System of political-economy, this investment in the public sector is expressed as a division of labor among Federal, State, County, and Local government. Although some of this public expenditure passes through, or into forms of private ownership, such as bond-holdings in a regulated public utility, the (b) responsibility for public infrastructure considered as an integral whole, lies with our system of constitutional government, as this intention for the development of the economy as a whole was described by our first Treasury Secretary, Alexander Ham- ilton: most notably in his 1791 Report to the U.S. Congress On the Subject of Manufactures.

A Capital Budget This aspect of the total economy can not be competently addressed in terms of a simply annual budget by governments. The most essential forms of investment The collapse in infrastructure is exemplified by the dramatic shrinkage of in an economy are typified for to- railroad mileage in our two most industrialised states, between the years day, by the idea of a quarter-cen- 1933 and 2000. tury’s lapse between the concep- Source: “Australian Railway Routes 1854-2000”, compiled by Howard tion of a new individual and the Quinlan and John R. Newland, Australian Railway Historical Society. age of maturity as a university graduate with specialist qualifica- tions. A lapse of a quarter- to half- Typical of the wholesale destruction of infrastructure in both the U.S. (above) and in Australia (rt.) is the collapse of the railroads. century of physical “life” (i.e., two sise that a great part of the annual Kennedy manned Moon-landing such generations) of an investment investment of Federal credit must science-driver programs, are exem- in infrastructure, is typical of most be steered into useful development plary. A Sovereign Commonwealth major public investments of this of long-term physical improve- The greatest part of these vari- Nation states arose in the 15th century based upon the notion of indispensable, long-term type. ments in basic economic infrastruc- ous public and private forms of the Common Good, or Commonwealth as it was also called, or, as Thus, capital budgets of com- ture and in promoting similar long- capital investment are long-term it was called in the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution, the General petent governments, like those of term investment among suitable investments of up to a quarter-cen- Welfare, meaning that of all the people, both those now living well-managed private entrepre- private entrepreneurs. tury, or longer. Thus, the creation and their posterity. This was also the principle upon which our neurships, are dominated by the Therefore, the most crucial eco- of monetised national credit, rep- Labor Party was originally founded, as expressed by our greatest crucial category of long-term ex- nomic element of the American resents a debt; much of this debt trade union organiser and an ALP founder, W.G. Spence: penditures for acquisition and System, is the role of Federal credit is, once again, long-term debt. As “The welfare of the people must be raised to the first place— maintenance of these essential long as the financial debt itself is must be the uppermost and foremost consideration. How to secure not postponed to a point beyond the good of all … the Common Good.” the useful physical life of the cap- However, it is impossible to provide for the Common Good if “The American System” ital investment, that debt will prob- the nation’s money supply is privately controlled, as ours is today aRouche in his various writings and speeches often refers to ably continue to be useful and wor- through the Reserve Bank board. Lthe “American System” of economy. In the Nineteenth Centu- thy. Therefore, it would be, and is Thus, the framers of our Constitution who intended to break ry, two competing systems of political economy were locked in a virtual idiocy, to treat long-term from the British Empire and establish an actually sovereign Aus- titanic struggle worldwide; they were universally known as the Federal credit created in this way tralia, fought ruthlessly for the inclusion of what became Section “British System” (of free trade and looting), vs. the “American as if it were the cause of an imbal- 51 of that Constitution, modeled upon Section 8 of the U.S. Con- System of Political Economy”. America’s first Treasury Secretary, ance in current Federal accounts. stitution, which gave the U.S. Congress the sole power: “To coin Alexander Hamilton, who was Gen. George Washington’s aide de The current European monetary Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin…” Com- camp in the 1776-1781 Revolutionary War, established what he system presents us with a radical pare that to Section 51 of our Constitution, under Part V. Powers was the first to call the “American System of Political Economy” extreme of the foolish practice of of the Parliament: “The Parliament shall, subject to this Consti- in three reports he delivered to the U.S. Congress in the early treating long-term capital invest- tution, have power to make laws for the peace, order, and good 1790s: Report on the Subject of Manufactures; Report on Public ment as if it were merely part of government of the Commonwealth with respect to: … Credit; and Report on a National Bank. The U.S. Constitution, annual costs. Indeed, under con- (xii.) Currency, coinage and legal tender; adopted in 1787-1789, had specified that Congress (and therefore ditions in which the level of na- (xiii.) Banking, other than State banking; also State banking the people) was to control the issuance of money, not private tionally produced output is be- extending beyond the limits of the State concerned, the incorpo- banks. To further develop the American System, Hamilton estab- low the level of national require- ration of banks, and the issue of paper money…” lished the First National Bank of the United States, which was ments, treating long-term capital The privately-controlled (“independent”) Reserve Bank has un- later destroyed by agents of the City of London, just as our own investments as short-term obliga- constitutionally usurped those powers over currency and bank- Commonwealth National Bank was destroyed by the same forces. tions, as we have tended to do under ing from control of our elected representatives, except during the Old Labor in Australia looked to this American System when they brief periods when the Commonwealth National Bank actually established the Commonwealth Bank in 1911. functioned for the Common Good, or during WWII. Continued Page 21 The New Citizen April 2006 Page 5 Special Report The Infrastructure Road to Recovery—

Let’s Build Our Way Out Contents Page of the Depression! Introduction 5 Populate or Perish: We Need 50 Million People! 8 Building a Nation: The Snowy Scheme 11 Great Water Projects 14 Fossil Water: A Voyage of Discovery 22 o matter how hysterically Aus- of great nation-building projects, fore detailing the specific areas and Australia Must Go Nuclear! 26 tralia’s political and financial along the lines of the legendary N projects which must be built, or A Great Railway Boom 31 elites try to deny it, the world— Snowy Scheme or the extraordi- rebuilt, the following overall and Australia along with it—are nary work of Tasmania’s Hydro- points are essential to locate the A World Leader In High-Speed Shipping 33 now hurtling into the worst depres- Electric Commission in decades “mission orientation” in which the Conquering Space 36 sion in history. This special report past, which will enable us to build specific projects are located. provides an overview of the kind our way out of the depression. Be- Rebuilding the Health System 39 Education: Dummies Won’t Develop Australia 42 1. Build the Eurasian Land-Bridge! n alternative to the deepening Aeconomic depression is taking shape, in the form of the building of the “Eurasian Land-Bridge.” Actually a conception of several rail-corridor land-bridges across the Eurasian continent, this idea is giving rise to a large number of “Great Projects” of power, communications, and water management as well. Its guiding idea came ten years ago from American statesman and physical economist Lyn- don LaRouche, when the fall of communism opened up the potential for an economic reconstruction drive “from the Atlantic to the Urals,” and at the same time west from China, Southeast Asia, and India, uniting the high technology capabilities of Russia and West- ern Europe, with the world’s greatest population centres, in Asia. It also includes the development of the vast, undeveloped and under- populated, but resource-rich areas of central Eurasia, including the Siberian region of Russia—the “inner space of the planet”—as a driver of recovery from depression for the world as a whole. The Eurasian Land-Bridge is not just a “nice idea”—it is rapidly being built, and is increasingly becoming the centrepiece of the Source: EIRNS foreign policy of Russia, China, the central Asian nations, and other Above: Lyndon LaRouche designed the Eurasian Land-Bridge concept as the engine of countries. In order for the Land- world economic recovery. Right: With high speed trains and high speed shipping, any part of Bridge program to really blossom, Australia is only 1-4 days away from the world’s largest population centres. however, the world must dump the disastrous IMF/World Bank globalist system of looting, and re- the head with a stick” policy of because of its geographical posi- place it with a New Bretton Woods John Howard, nor the phoney “en- tion and because of the industrial system built upon the best aspects gagement” policy of Paul Keating transformation it had undergone of the original Bretton Woods, in- and the ALP, both of which are pred- during the war, as an agro-indus- cluding national banking, ex- icated upon free-trade looting, trial engine for the postwar eco- change and capital controls, tariff both of Australia and of Asia. The nomic recovery of an Asia of sov- protection, etc.1 ELB provides us the vehicle to re- ereign nation-states freed, at long Australia must make the Eura- turn to the postwar perspectives of last, from British, French, Dutch, sian Land-Bridge the centrepiece Australia’s greatest prime minis- Portuguese colonialism, a coloni- of its own program for physical ters, John Curtin and Ben Chifley. alism continued today under the economic recovery. The ELB rep- Curtin and Chifley, together with guise of the IMF and World Bank. resents a true “Asia policy” for U.S. President Franklin Delano With the economic boom that Australia, not the “beat them on Roosevelt, envisioned Australia, such a perspective will unleash, our nation will suffer a huge labour shortage, and can joyfully open its arms to immigrants of many countries, who, in turn, will This Special Report was researched and written help build Australia. These “new Australians”, along with the opti- by Robert Barwick, Jeremy Beck, Allen Douglas, mism unleashed by having our nation at last on the move once Craig Isherwood, Noelene Isherwood and Marsha again, should return us to the fertility rates of the 1950s, and put us Freeman. well on the path to having 50 mil- Source: Prof. Lance Endersbee lion Australians by 2050. Container Ports in Asia Page 6 The New Citizen April 2006

The Infrastructure Road to Recovery Introduction

2. Revive the Nation-State and the Common Good n the Golden Renaissance of Fif- and downs in Europe, as the Vene- Iteenth Century Europe, an en- tian, Hapsburg and other oligar- tirely new political institution was chies struggled mightily against it, created—that of the sovereign including by unleashing the sort nation-state. For the first time in of brutal religious warfare of the history, government was premised 1509-1648 period. The republi- on the Platonic/Christian concep- cans of Europe, particularly those tion, that all men are equal because later centred around the great they are all born imago viva Dei statesman and scientist, Gottfried (“in the living image of God”).2 Leibniz, moved to outflank the The unique purpose of the nation- still-powerful oligarchy of Europe, state—and the sole basis of legiti- by establishing a republic in the macy of governments from then new continent of America. After a on—was to foster the “common bloody revolution against the Brit- good” of all of its citizens. This ish monarchy and the City of Lon- was a radical break with existing don (“the new Venice”), the Amer- forms of oligarchical rule, whether icans established a new sovereign of empires along the Babylonian/ nation-state, whose purpose as stat- Roman model, of European feudal- ed in the Preamble to the U.S. Con- ism, or of the slightly more dis- stitution, was to foster the “gener- guised form of imperial rule of the al welfare” of all Americans, in the Left: John Curtin and Ben Chifley dedicated their entire lives to fighting for the “common good”, which was the central tenet of “old Labor.” financier oligarchy of Venice, present, as well as for generations Right: Public capital expenditure as % GDP: This graph reflects the collapse in infrastructure under economic rationalism. which had been for centuries the to come. world’s leading banking centre and After the victory of President sally known, was centred on uni- building of the transcontinental first, as most clearly reflected in leading maritime power. Under all Abraham Lincoln over the British- versal education, protectionism, railroad, and where the founders the wholesale “privatisation” of those systems, men and women backed, slave-owning Confedera- national banking, and great infra- of the Labor Party took the Ameri- our infrastructure which, by its were no different than cattle, to be cy in the 1861-65 Civil War, the structure projects (such as the can, as opposed to British, spell- very nature as necessary for the herded, culled or slaughtered at agro-industrial revolution un- transcontinental railroads). This ing of “labour” to signify that sys- common good, must be state- will, as it pleased the reigning oli- leashed by Lincoln’s wartime mo- “American System” was rapidly tem to which they aspired.3 owned, or at the very least state- garchy. bilisation made the United States emulated in Japan, Germany, Rus- The economic rationalism which regulated. Sponsored by the Brit- After its first establishment in the most powerful industrial nation sia, and elsewhere—and in Austral- has taken over Australia since the ish Crown’s Mont Pelerin Society, the France of Louis XI and in the on earth. Its anti-British free trade ia, where the American immigrant Hawke-Keating era, is specifically “economic rationalism” is aimed England of Henry VII, the sover- “American System of political King O’Malley founded the Com- aimed at destroying the “common more fundamentally at destroying eign nation-state suffered many ups economy”, as it was then univer- monwealth Bank and oversaw the good”, by putting private profits the very nation-state itself. 4 3. Rebuild Australia’s Collapsed Infrastructure ince at least the 1980s, our na- D-; Stormwater—D; Local Stion’s infrastructure has been Roads—D; Rail—D-, with much Top 10 countries in privatisations, 1988-97 systematically run down and de- of the rest of the nation’s infrastruc- stroyed. This is perhaps most ob- ture graded as barely adequate.5 vious in the “soft” infrastructure In addition to the financier loot- Australia such as health care and education, ing known as “economic rational- but it is also true for such “hard” ism” and “privatisation”, another Brazil infrastructure as railroads, roads, justification for the looting of both shipping, energy and water. Since hard and soft infrastructure has Mexico the 1980s Australia has built up an been the “balanced budget” luna- “infrastructure deficit” of over cy followed, enthusiastically or Argentina $100 billion. In fact, the size of not, by all of Australia’s political the collapse has been masked by parties except the CEC, as exem- Malaysia the fact that Australia’s physical plified by the 1998 federal act, The economy itself has shrunk drasti- Charter of Budget Honesty. As Hungary cally, from the sort of agro-indus- physical economist LaRouche— trial orientation seen in our once- by far the world’s greatest econom- China proud manufacturing sector, to- ic forecaster of the past four dec- ward “services”, which require lit- ades—has voluminously docu- New Zealand tle or no infrastructure. A 1998 ex- mented in his writings, the linear amination of our dilapidated rail “statistical”, “accounting” mental- Peru infrastructure, for instance, by the ity at the root of the balanced budg- House of Representatives Stand- et madness, is a self-fulfilling King O’Malley established the Common- Russia wealth bank to provide credit for developing Committee on Communica- prophecy which causes an econo- ment. tions, Transport and Microeco- my to collapse.6 And in fact, the $0 $5 $10 $15 $20 $25 $30 $35 $40 $45 (billions $) nomic Reform of the federal Par- Howard-Costello budget, like the span of development of a new- Source: EIR liament found that “Without ur- those of Hawke-Keating before born child into a fully defined-as- gent and substantial investment in them, are not balanced in the first functional adult…. Since infra- From the Hawke-Keating era through 1998, Australia led the world in flogging off its this infrastructure, major sections place, because they are not replen- structural development, and long- precious infrastructure—the work of generations of Australians past. of the national rail network are like- ishing the used-up infrastructure, term capital improvements, or the ly to become irretrievable within and by so doing are simply loot- lack of either or both, define the ten years.” The Institution of En- ing the future to seemingly balance net outcome of an entire genera- $500 billion in superannuation structure, “The use of the power of gineers, Australia, which compiles the books in the present. Because, tion of an economy’s unfolding, funds in crashing stock, bond and the sovereign nation-state to cre- the annual Australian Infrastruc- as LaRouche specified in an ad- we must never attempt to define other speculative markets, $40 bil- ate national credit, is the indispen- ture Report Card on behalf of the dress to a group of economists in the policies properly governing lion of which were lost in 2001 sable means for organizing a proc- Australian Infrastructure Report Guatemala in mid-2001, “Over so-called microeconomical func- alone, much of that money should ess of general recovery from a ca- Card Alliance comprising dozens 50% of an investment in any effec- tions, except in an axiomatically be invested in the physical build- tastrophe such as that of 1929-33, of Australia’s leading infrastructure tive economy, is in basic econom- well-defined macroeconomical set- ing of Australia’s future—what saf- or the worse situation erupting to- bodies, and which is pro-privati- ic infrastructure, which is by the ting.”7 er investment could you possibly day. This course of action depends sation itself—and therefore radi- state…. A healthy economy, is Meanwhile, the same govern- have? upon mobilising a passion in sup- cally underestimates the country’s dominated by the nation-state.” ment which loudly protests that it Foremost among the new insti- port of feasible programs which actual needs by a large margin— One can cheat on these costs for “can’t afford” infrastructure, tutions needed to facilitate an in- will not be self-sustaining in less has projected that over the next ten awhile, with seemingly little pen- spends over $5 billion on unem- frastructure-led, science-driver than the medium to long term. On years, we need to spend $150 bil- alty, but the results over time are ployment each year, which is a form of economy is a new national the basis of confidence in the pros- lion on infrastructure, including deadly. As LaRouche observed, dead loss (not to mention the lost bank, which such titans of “old pect that such programs will be- some $50 billion on water resourc- “Generally, the minimum interval tax revenue from the army of un- Labor” as King O’Malley, Frank come self-sustaining in their ef- es, $20 billion on electricity, $12 of time, during which the relation- employed), and was scheduled to Anstey, John Curtin and Ben Chi- fects, government issues regulat- billion on rail and $5 billion on ship between short-term aberra- spend an astonishing $16 billion fley always intended, will provide ed credit to tide the nation and its ports. Even by their own inade- tions and their large-scale long- through 2005-06 in National whatever credit is needed for na- people over, during the process of quate standards, the Report Card term effects, becomes empirically Competition Policy-related pay- tional development. As LaRouche building up to a self-sustaining gives the following marks to key clear, is in the order of not less than ments to wreck infrastructure.8 has specified regarding a national recovery.”9 infrastructure sectors: Irrigation— a quarter-century, approximately Furthermore, instead of investing bank and its relationship to infra- 4. Develop the Biosphere, and the Noösphere

11 he CEC’s bold proposals for an They thus show themselves to be Russian in 1926. And since he parison with the mighty, ostensi- absorb nonliving material such as Tinfrastructure-led agro-indus- dupes of that same financier oli- originated the concept of the bio- bly inanimate forces of oceans, water, minerals from the soil and trial recovery which are contained garchy, which both owns the ma- sphere, he can be presumed to volcanoes, storms, raging rivers, gaseous molecules from the atmos- in this special report, will lead jor media, and which invented the know far more about it than any etc.—actually dominates and phere and turn them into living tis- some to say, in a knee-jerk fash- scam of “environmentalism” in the greenie ever could. Vernadsky, who changes these inanimate forces to sue, the process of creative cogni- ion, “You can’t do that!” When first place, as another weapon to also originated the discipline of an ever-increasing degree. As Ver- 10 tion—which is unique to man— asked why not, given that we used target nation-states. biogeochemistry, showed that nadsky put it in Biosphere, “With- increasingly dominates and trans- to do it, when the economy was Because the real science of the when you looked at the earth over out life, the face of the Earth would forms the biosphere itself, giving actually functioning, they will ei- biosphere begins with the man hundreds of millions and even bil- be as motionless and inert as the rise to a new geological epoch, that ther splutter some nonsense about who formulated the concept in the lions of years, that the geochemi- face of the moon.” of the noösphere (after the Greek- “the budget”, which is refuted first place, the great Russian sci- cal energy of life (living matter)— Moreover, Vernadsky proved derived word, “noesis”, which above, or, perhaps more likely, they entist Vladimir I. Vernadsky (1863- which is a distinct physical prin- that, just as living matter domi- means cognition, creative will emit a high-pitched whine, 1945). Vernadsky published his ciple from nonliving matter, and nates and transforms nonliving thought). Said Vernadsky of this “What about the environment?!” epoch-making book, Biosphere, in which is ostensibly weak in com- matter, as when plants, for instance, new era, “We are living in a brand The New Citizen April 2006 Page 7

The Infrastructure Road to Recovery Introduction new, bright geological epoch. term period of not less than ap- a type unique to the products of Man, through his labor—and his proximately a quarter-century or cognition. Urban development is conscious relationship to life—is even much longer.”13 chiefly an example of natural ob- transforming the envelope of the Furthermore, says LaRouche, jects of cognition. Earth—the geological region of “From the standpoint of Vernad- “The development of educa- life, the biosphere. Man is shifting sky’s outline, this development of tional systems, like the role of prin- it into a new geological state: basic economic infrastructure is ciples of Classical artistic compo- Through his labor and his con- expressed in two clearly distin- sition is [also] a part of the essen- sciousness, the biosphere is in a guishable ways. In some actions, tial infrastructure of the bio- process of transition to the noö- man’s action simply improves the sphere….”15 sphere…. The stage of the noö- development of the biosphere as Thus, to do as Prince Philip and sphere is being created. Within the man finds it, as through the trans- his greenies propose, to effective- Earth’s biosphere, an intense blos- formation of arid regions into bio- ly stop all of man’s major inter- soming is in process, the further logically rich farmlands. ventions into the biosphere, is, history of which will be grandiose, “In the second class of action, from a strictly scientific stand- it seems to us.”12 man improves the variety of con- point, insane, as well as economi- LaRouche has further developed tent of the biosphere, qualitative- cally suicidal. Rather, the oppo- Vernadsky’s concept of the noö– ly, by adding to it new kinds of site is needed: man must increase The great Russian scientist Vladimir sphere, through his discoveries in what Vernadsky calls ‘natural ob- his interventions into the bio- I. Vernadsky, who originated the con- the science of physical economy. jects,’14 adding to the repertoire of sphere through great infrastructure cept of the “biosphere” in 1926. His From the standpoint of physical natural objects already produced projects, and through science driv- work demonstrates that “environ- by forms of life inferior to man- er projects such as nuclear power mentalism”, as the greenies pro- economy, LaRouche writes, “the pound it today, is an utter fraud. functional relationship of the noö- kind. Such ‘natural objects’ intro- and space exploration, the latter sphere to the biosphere is ex- duced to the biosphere as products of which, incidentally, extends pressed chiefly as what macroeco- of cognition, include transporta- the biosphere, the region in which nomics views as basic economic tion and power systems. Water life exists. The notion of a science infrastructure. This means, chief- management systems represent the driver is perhaps best exemplified ry $1 the United States spent on garding infrastructure of the great ly, the development of the land- combined effect of human promo- by President John F. Kennedy’s the space program returned $13 to builder of the Sydney Harbour area of a national physical econ- tion of the kind of natural projects early 1960s call to put a man on the economy, by virtue of the con- Bridge and Sydney’s underground omy as an indivisible unit of ac- already produced by the biosphere the moon by 1970, in what seemed tinual waves of new technology it railway system, Dr. J.J.C. Bradfield: tion, that over a relatively long- as such, combined with added ele- to be an almost impossibly bold unleashed. Closer to home, one “You have to spend money to make ments which are natural objects of task. As later studies showed, eve- should remember the dictum re- money.” Footnotes

1. For more on the Eurasian Land- ses Mendelssohn and the Bach Tradi- “The Fight for an Australian Republic: to the emergence of the GST. viated version of that 1929 French Bridge, see the 1997 290-page special tion”, by Steven P. Meyer, “Philosoph- From the First Fleet to the Year 2000”. 9. LaRouche, “The Science Driver edition was published in English in report by Executive Intelligence Review ical Vignettes from the Political Life of 4. For documentation of how the Principle in Economics.” In consultation 1986 as The Biosphere by Synergistic magazine, The Eurasian Land-Bridge: Moses Mendelssohn” by David Shavin, Crown’s Mont Pelerin Society—which with LaRouche, in 1994 the CEC draft- Press, Arizona and London. The Eng- The “New Silk Road”—locomotive for and “What It Takes To Be A World His- invented economic rationalism in its ed a bill to establish the Commonwealth lish translation is significantly inferior worldwide economic development. The torical Leader Today”, by Helga-Zepp modern form—took over both the ma- National Credit Bank, which is also in- to the Russian original, but it does pro- latest overview of the actual construc- LaRouche, all in Fidelio magazine, jor Australian political parties, (see the cluded in What Australia Must Do to vide some sense of Vernadsky’s ideas. tion of the ELB is documented in the Summer 1999. Also see “A Personal CEC pamphlet, “Stop the British Crown Survive the Depression. A second key work by Vernadsky was cover story of the Executive Intelligence Statement from Lyndon LaRouche on Plot to Crush Australia’s Unions”, 1998, 10. For details on how Prince Philip, translated in 2000 by two of La- Review of November 2, 2001. For more Music, Judaism, and Hitler”, http:// 96 pages. the old Nazi Party member Prince Bern- Rouche’s associates for 21st Century on LaRouche’s conception of the New www.cecaust.com.au (Culture section, 5. 2001 Australian Infrastructure Re- hard and their multi-billionaire friends Science & Technology magazine. See Bretton Woods, including an overview which also contains the Zepp-LaRouche port Card. invented environmentalism, beginning footnote 14. of the immense political support for that and Shavin articles). http://www.infrastructurereportcard.org.au/gl with the World Wildlife Fund in the ear- 12. See Vernadsky, footnote 14. conception from around the world, see 3. The key figures who created the 6. “New Accounting Standards Are ly 1960s (now known as the World Wide 13. LaRouche, “The Science Driver the CEC’s book, What Australia Must Do “American System of political econo- Imperative: The Becoming Death of Fund for Nature), and later fronts such Principle in Economics”. to Survive the Depression, 2001, 332 my” were Alexander Hamilton, former Systems Analysis”, by Lyndon La- as the Australian Conservation Founda- 14. “Natural objects” is employed pages. aide-de-camp to Gen. George Washing- Rouche, EIR, March 31, 2000. tion (which Prince Philip personally here in the sense of Vernadsky’s argu- 2. This conception is also found in ton in the Revolutionary War and Amer- 7. LaRouche, “The Science Driver founded), see the 1997 CEC pamphlet, ment. As cited in Lyndon H. LaRouche, Islam, and in Mosaic Judaism. For the ica’s first Treasury Secretary, under Principle in Economics”, which consti- “Aboriginal ‘Land Rights’: Prince Philip’s Jr., “A Philosophy for Victory: Can We immense contributions of Islam to the Washington, the first President of the tutes Part II of the CEC’s book, What racist plot to splinter Australia”. Through Change the Universe?” EIR, March 2, building of modern Europe, see Muriel United States; the Irish-American patri- Australia Must Do to Survive the De- its subsidiary, “The Primitive Peoples 2001, see Vladimir I. Vernadsky, “On Mirak-Weissbach, “Andalusia, Gateway ot Mathew Carey and his son Henry pression. Fund”, the WWF also gave rise to the the Fundamental Material-energetic to the Golden Renaissance”, New Feder- Carey, Lincoln’s chief economics ad- 8. The $16 billion figure in Competi- “indigenist” movement worldwide, as Difference Between Living and Non- alist newspaper, Nov. 19, 2001. Regard- viser; and the German/American Frie- tion Policy-related payments is cited in another way of locking up huge areas of Living Natural Bodies in the Bio- ing the contribution of Mosaic Judaism, drich List, later the architect of Germa- the National Competition Council’s nations from development. For a thor- sphere” (1938), Jonathan Tennenbaum as LaRouche’s collaborators have dem- ny’s Customs Union and railroad sys- 1997-98 Annual Report. See http:// ough treatment of environmentalism and and Rachel Douglas, trans, 21st Centu- onstrated, the Orthodox Jew Moses Men- tem. King O’Malley proudly called him- www.ncc.gov.au/nationalcompet/ indigenism, see the 1997 EIR 218-page ry Science & Technology, Winter 2000- delssohn was the single most influential self “the Alexander Hamilton of Aus- annual%20reports/1997-98/ Special Report, The True Story Behind 2001. figure in creating the conditions for the tralia”. For more on the immense influ- sectiona.pdf. Although the policy is un- the Fall of the House of Windsor. 15. LaRouche, “The Science Driver great upsurge in Classical culture in late ence of the American System on Aus- changed, payments for Competition Pol- 11. Vernadsky’s Biosphere was trans- Principle in Economics”. 18th Century and early 19th Century Eu- tralia, see the CEC’s 72-page pamphlet, icy have since been reconfigured, due lated into French in 1929, and an abbre- rope, particularly in Germany. See “Mo-

A Snowy Veteran Keeps Fighting

he following infrastructure now a private consultant, he has versity. In 1988 he was Pro-Vice Tpackage was inspired by the devoted the bulk of his time in Chancellor of the University. He work of two key individuals: from “retirement” (together with a was Chairman of a major review an overall, conceptual standpoint huge portion of his superannua- of national energy issues con- by the world’s leading physical tion), to activities for the com- ducted by the Institution of En- economist, U.S. 2004 Presiden- mon good, in particular to de- gineers, Australia, the Task Force tial candidate Lyndon LaRouche, signing great infrastructure on Energy, and was a member of and for much of the detailed ap- projects for Australia, in the the Australian Government’s Na- plication to projects in Australia, course of which he travels wide- tional Energy Advisory Commit- by one of Australia’s unsung he- ly across the country and speaks tee. He was also a member of the roes, Prof. Lance Endersbee. La- to numerous groups. Energy Council in Tasmania. Rouche’s biography, his extraor- Prof. Endersbee has specialised He is an Officer of the Order of dinary record of economic fore- in the management of planning Australia and a Fellow of the casting over the past four dec- and design of major economic Australian Academy of Techno- ades, and his related work over development projects, and ener- logical Sciences and Engineer- the same period for a just new gy and transport engineering. He ing. world economic order are chron- has helped design and construct Prof. Lance Endersbee has pro- icled in the CEC’s new book, several large dams and under- posed that a National Infrastruc- What Australia Must Do To Sur- ground power stations and other ture Authority be established to vive the Depression. major works in civil engineering oversee projects of national im- As for Prof. Endersbee, he is a and mining in Australia, Canada, portance, which are otherwise ill- civil engineer, with 27 years in Asia and Africa. He has taken a provided for by our Constitution. engineering practice followed by special interest in the scientific A crucial role in building these 13 years at Monash University. field of rock mechanics, and was projects will be taken by the He served with the Snowy Moun- a Vice-President of the Interna- youth of Australia; instead of kill- tains Hydro-Electric Authority, tional Society for Rock Mechan- Professor Lance Endersbee, patriot, and engineer extraordinaire. ing themselves at a world-lead- the Hydro-Electric Commission ics. ing pace, these youth should be of Tasmania, and with the United His professional awards in- Medal, the highest award of the 1980-81. mobilised through a Pioneer Nations in South-East Asia as an clude the Chapman Medal, the Institution of Engineers, Austral- In 1976 he was appointed by Corps, through which they can expert on dam design and hydro Warren Memorial Prize, and the ia, of which he is an Honorary invitation as Dean of the Faculty build their own future, as they power development. Though Peter Nicol Russell Memorial Fellow, and was President in of Engineering at Monash Uni- build their country. Page 8 The New Citizen April 2006 The Infrastructure Road to Recovery— Let’s Build Our Way Out of the Depression! Populate or Perish: Australia Needs 50 Million People! by Craig Isherwood ur nation today is in the throes nation. In first approximation, to etc., and of the growing poverty the great religions of Judaism, he has expanded his potential rel- Oof a great debate over popula- be elaborated below, it means the and unemployment of the general Christianity and Islam teach, in ative population density over the tion. The decisions we make now number of individuals who can be population. Compare that reality, which man is created imago viva centuries and millennia, in a way and in the coming few years will supported per square kilometre of to the crowing of our political and Dei—in the living image of God that animals have never done by shape Australia for decades, and any nation, solely by the efforts financial establishment (and of the Creator. The reality is, that themselves, nor could ever do, be- even centuries to come. of the inhabitants of that nation. the OECD) about how “Austral- mankind (male and female) are cause they lack the power which Therefore, one must examine LaRouche’s concept is a radical ia’s economy is leading the different from animals because man has—creative cognition. The this issue from the highest scien- shift from the prevailing measures world.” they possess God-like creative contentions of the greenies and tific standpoint, that of “potential of economic health, in that it puts More fundamentally, one can powers of mind, which enable economic rationalists, therefore, relative population density”, as people first, instead of the things not speak about the population them to change and develop the that “man is just another animal” specified by the greatest econom- they produce. The idiocy of issue, without addressing the es- physical universe itself. Thus operating according to “pleasure ic forecaster of the past several “thing-based” measures, such as sential axiom which underlies God’s injunction to man in Gene- and pain” is unscientific quack- decades, the American physical Gross Domestic Product, is self- that issue, regarding the nature of sis 1:28; “Be fruitful, and multi- ery, or, perhaps, just plain pagan- economist Lyndon H. LaRouche, evident: For Australia, look at the man. Are human beings merely ply, and replenish the earth and ism. Jr. In the science of physical econ- overwhelming evidence of the col- another form of animal, as Prince subdue it.” This is not merely a With those underlying axioms omy, potential relative population lapse of education and health care, Philip and his World Wide Fund religious statement, but a rigorous in mind, we can now begin to look density is the fundamental meas- of the collapse of the basic hard for Nature gang contend? Or, are scientific one: it is by virtue of at what sort of population Austral- ure of the economic health of any infrastructure of transport, water, they fundamentally different, as man’s unique creative powers, that ia should have. 62 Million Australians by 2050?

n an article in Rydge’s Magazine Iin October 1941, Dr. J.J.C. Brad- Graph 1 field, the architect of Sydney’s un- Total Fertility Rate Graph 2 Infant Mortality Rates derground railway and Sydney Australia - 1901 to 1999 Australia - 1901 to 1999 Rate (a) Harbour Bridge, and of the Brad- Rate(a) 125 field Scheme, called for a popula- 4 tion of 40 million by 1991, and 100 an “eventual” population of 90 million: 3 75 “To populate and develop Aus- tralia we must spend money to 50 2 make money. The money spent 25 would all be for labour and mate- The post war The baby bust Stability Decline rials of Australian origin. An ex- baby boom 0 1 penditure of 5 shillings per day 1901 1911 11921921 1931 1941 1951 1961 1971 1981 1991 2001 or 500 million pounds, in well 1901 1910 1920 1930 1939 1949 1959 1968 1978 1988 1998 (a) Rate per 1,000 live births thought out schemes throughout Source: CBCS 1508, ABS 1965, ABS Deaths, Australia (3302 0), various issues. Australia during the next 40 years Source: CBCS Demography Bulletins: ABS Births, Australia (3301.0), various Issues would greatly increase the value of our heritage, and add the pop- by 2,148,410 people to ulation we need to hold what we 10,056,480, 27.1% within one Graph 3 have. To do this we should en- decade! The Total Fertility Rate deavour to have a population of (TFR) for Australian women in Actual and Projected Population Growth 40 million say fifty years from that decade was close to 3.6 ba- hence. Australia eventually bies per woman, which peaked in 1901 — 2049 should easily accommodate 90 1961. This was well above the 90 million people, 30 per square mile population replacement rate of 89 million [12 per square kilometre].” 85 2.1, and far above the 1.7 rate we 80 In 1941, Australia’s population Projected Population Growth at 1949-59 rate have sunk to in the year 2002. 75 was seven million. To hit 40 mil- (The Total Fertility Rate is the of 27.1% from 1959 to 2049 lion, as Bradfield called for, the 70 average number of babies per 65 Projected Population Growth at 1949-59 rate population would have had to woman according to the age- 62 million grow by 471%, a growth rate of 60 of 27.1% from 2002 to 2049 specific fertility rates each year. 55 3.5% per year or 41% every dec- See Graph 1.) 50 ade. By 1991 however, even after Whilst the TFR was initially 45 the baby-boom of the 1950s and high due to a catch up factor from 40

1960s, Australia had a population the Depression and War, it was sus- Millions 35 of around 17 million people, and tained by near-universal marriage, 30 a population density of 2.2 peo- reduction in the ages at marriage, 25 ple per square kilometre. Yet, Brad- low unemployment, availability 20 field’s dream is entirely feasible. of housing, and reduced fertility 15 Today, another great infrastruc- problems, and increased cultural 10 ture advocate, Prof. Lance Enders- optimism. The population was 5 bee, has put the argument as fol- further boosted by immigration, 0 lows: “We need an immediate in- by the advent of immunisation 1901 1919 1939 1959 1979 1999 2019 2039 crease of population of 25%…. against common disease, and by 1909 1929 1949 1969 1989 2009 2029 2049 Australia could quite reasonably modern medical practices in gen- Years embark on a planned increase of eral. The latter decreased the In- 25% within the decade. I would fant Mortality Rate from a horren- point out that, 50 years ago, in the dous ratio of 103.6 per thousand Actual Population Growth fifties, there was a 25% increase live births in 1901, to just 5.3 in Source: Compiled from Australian Bureau of Statistics data in the Australian population with 1999. (See Graph 2.) full-employment and a number of If we had continued the eco- major works on hand around the nomic and population policies of newed population growth rate of ty. These are the policies and sively expand our population. An nation. The top end of Australia the post-war period, from 1959, 27.1%, then ten years from now projects which are featured in this intake of 100,000 immigrants, for could carry 50 million people that 27.1% rate of increase would we would have over 24 million special report, which will inspire instance, only represents 0.5% of alone.” have meant an Australian popula- people, and by 2050 be at 62 mil- optimism and hope for the future. Australia’s current population. Of A 25% increase would be near- tion of over 28 million people to- lion people. How would we Although for both moral as well those 100,000, at least 50% are ly five million people, lifting Aus- day, and in the year 2049, over 89 achieve this? We would need to as nation-building reasons, we men, and of the women, a signifi- tralia’s population from 19.5 mil- million people, close to Brad- enthusiastically promote and should dump Australia’s present cant proportion are non-child bear- lion to 24.4 million people. In field’s vision of 90 million! (See fund—once again—policies that racist anti-immigration policy, ing, so the proportion of women 1949 Australia had 7,908,070 Graph 3.) support a rate of increase of po- generous immigration quotas who would raise the Total Fertili- people. By 1959, we had grown If we began in 2002 with a re- tential relative population densi- alone are not sufficient to deci- ty Rate would be minimal. The Nation-State and Population Growth he kind of rapid population cholas of Cusa founded the con- hannes Kepler, the founder of were not only more people, but neo-Confucian renaissance in Tgrowth which we are propos- cept of sovereign nation-states in modern mathematical physics. they had a much better quality of China, which caused world popu- ing is in fact normal by historical his great work, Concordantia These two innovations, the na- life, and lived much longer. lation to double between 800 and standards, particularly those of the Catholica. He also founded mod- tion-state and experimental phys- Periods of renaissance always 1300. Along with the rising num- last 500 years of extended Euro- ern science in his work De Docta ical science, which were both ded- result in rapid rates of population bers of population, come rising pean civilisation since the Fif- Ignorantia, and counted among icated to fostering the common growth, as in the population population-densities, as well as teenth Century Golden Renais- his disciples such universal gen- good, caused the population ex- growth spurred by the joint impact dramatically increased life-spans. sance. At that time, Cardinal Ni- iuses as Leonardo DaVinci and Jo- plosion seen in Graph 4. And there of the Islamic Renaissance and the The New Citizen April 2006 Page 9 The Infrastructure Road to Recovery Populate or Perish

Prince Philip and Other Great Apes orced to confront the evidence nevolent, but much mistaken men, Fof population growth through- who have thought they are doing a out history, the greenie might whine, service to mankind by protecting “Yes, the evidence of all human his- schemes for the total extirpation of tory is of rising absolute population particular disorders.” and rising population-density. But, The Malthusian concept of “car- we here in Australia are different rying capacity”, which is inter- because of our geography.” One has changeable with the now-omnipres- only to open the newspapers any ent buzz word, “sustainability”, has given day, to see where the greenie been propagated by the oligarchy, gets his ideas. For instance, The through such fronts as Prince Australian of April 30, 1994 report- Philip’s World Wide Fund for Na- ed about the just-concluded confer- ture, or through the Club of Rome, ence of the Australian Academy of which was founded in 1967 by Ital- Science’s Population 2040, “Bio- ian businessman Aurelio Peccei and Photo Left: AP Photo/Gorilla Foundation via logical evidence was presented that British intelligence operative Alex- San Francisco Chronicle. Right: Gorilla Australia had already far exceeded ander King. As Prince Philip, found- Foundation Buckingham Palace its biological limits, and ought to er of both the WWF and of the Aus- aim for as few as 6-7 million people tralian Conservation Foundation, Graph 4 in the very long term.” On March 4, has said, “You cannot keep a bigger 700 1999, the Chair of the National Bi- flock of sheep than you are capable 100,000 B.C.–A. . 1975 odiversity Council, Dr. Harry Rech- of feeding. In other words conser- er, told the Canberra Times, “The vation may involve culling in order Alone among all other species, man’s numerical increase is a function of increasing mastery over naturee—increase of 600 Australian environment is neither to keep a balance between relative potential population-densityy—as reflected historically in the increase of actual population-density. In transforming his highly productive nor capable of numbers in each species within any 500 withstanding the kinds of intense particular habit. I realize this is a estimated life-expectancy over mankind’ exploitation imposed on it over the very touchy subject, but the fact re- ’s multi-thousand-year existence. Institutionalization of the past 200 years”. mains that mankind is part of the conception of man as the living image of God the Creator during the Golden Renaissance, through the 400 The quackademics are just living world…. Every new acre Renaissance creation of the sovereign nation-state, is the conceptual origin of the latter expansion of the potential which uniquely makes man what he is. mouthing what they are paid for. For brought into cultivation means an- 300 the reality is that “population con- other acre denied to wild species.” trol” has always been a doctrine of In 1991, in its publication The the oligarchy, which desires dumb- First Global Revolution, the Club 200 er and far fewer people, because they of Rome openly identified its real are then much easier to control. This enemy: “In searching for a new ene- 100 doctrine began in the modern era my to unite us, we came up with the Population with attacks against the great Re- idea that pollution, the threat of glo- (Millions) 10 0 publican and American Independ- bal warming, water shortages, fam- 8 . 1 5

Mesolithic . 50 50 50 50 50 00 00 00 6 Neolithic 7 400 600 800 100 2 4 7 9 ence leader Dr. Benjamin Franklin. ine and the like would fit the bill…. . 1 1900 1000 1 1300 1 1500 1600 1 1800 4 Pop. Pop. 1 ~100,000 ~250,000 In 1751, Franklin published a pam- But in designating them as the ene- 2 4 120 phlet, Observations Concerning the my, we fall into the trap of mistak- 0 0 0 – 10,0000– 0 0 0 0 0 0 100 0

Increase in Mankind, in which he ar- ing symptoms for causes. All these 0 0 0 0 3 2 5 4 1 gued for rapidly increasing the popu- dangers are caused by human inter- 80 lation of North America. Franklin’s vention and it is only through work was also published in Italy, where changed attitudes and behavior that 60 it was harshly attacked by the monk they can be overcome. The real en- 40 Giammaria Ortes, a leading spokes- emy, then, is humanity itself.” Or, as Population-density 20 3 (Avg pop/km2) man for the powerful rentier-financier Prince Philip was reported as say- Paleolithic Mesolithic Neolithic 0 families of Venice. ing, by Deutsche Presse Agentur in 2 Ortes’ work was later plagiarised August 1988, in his inimitable cal- 1 70 0 60 by an ambitious young graduate of lous style, “In the event I am reborn, 50 Oxford University’s divinity school, I would like to return as a deadly 40 30 Thomas Malthus, who published virus, in order to contribute some- Life-expectancy (YYears) 20 Ortes’ arguments as his own Essay thing to solve overpopulation.” 10 On the Principles of Population. At A second motive in population that time, Malthus was in the serv- control, is so that the oligarchy can All charts are based on standard estimates by existing schools of demography. None claim any more than the indicative; however, the ice of the British Prime Minister, control the planet’s raw materials, scaling variation, all to the is significant, William Pitt the Younger, who spon- many of which are in lands inhabit- independant of quality of of the graphs. Sources: For and McEvedy and Richard Jones, sored the first, 1798 edition of ed by the “darker-skinned races”, Note breaks and changes in scales. Malthus’ famous work. This work in the words of Club of Rome co- led to the 1800 reform of the British founder Alexander King. In the Poor Law where Britain ceased to 1970s, then-U.S. National Security Depopulation of Rural Australia give financial assistance to its own Adviser Henry Kissinger sponsored “useless eaters”. National Security Study Memoran- Malthus argued that the growth dum 200, which proclaimed that of population would always, soon- population growth in the develop- er or later, outstrip the food supply, ing world is a strategic threat to the and therefore we should just kill off United States, because it threatened some of the population. As he wrote to consume raw materials upon in his An Essay on the Principle of which the United States depended. Population: The memo called for holding world “We are bound in justice and hon- population at eight billion instead our formally to disdain the Right of of the 22 billion then projected for the poor to support. 2075, and specifically targeted 13 “The infant is, comparatively developing sector nations for “pop- speaking, of little value to society, ulation reduction”. as another will immediately supply This notion of locking up raw its place. materials has been applied in Aus- “All children who are born, be- tralia as well, under the rubric of yond what would be required to “land rights”, “economic rational- keep up the population to the de- ism”, and “environmentalism”. The sired level, must necessarily perish, chief funder and organiser of all unless room be made for them by three is Her Majesty’s minerals car- the death of grown persons…. tel, Rio Tinto. These policies are Therefore … we should facilitate, already depopulating huge sections instead of foolishly and vainly en- of our continent, just as intended. deavouring to impede, the opera- (See map at right.) tions of nature in producing this Is there any danger in reality of mortality; and if we dread the too “raw materials running out”, or of frequent visitation of the horrid form “the earth becoming overpopulat- of famine, we should sedulously ed”, if the population keeps rising? encourage other forms of destruc- Well, what does man have a brain tion, which we compel nature to use. for? It has been the history of man- “Instead of recommending clean- kind, that unlike kangaroos, man liness to the poor, we should encour- constantly develops new raw mate- age contrary habits. In our towns we rials through scientific and techno- Source: National Institute of Economic and Industry Research should make the streets narrower, logical advances. What was titani- crowd more people into the houses, um (see “Great Water Projects” sec- and court the return of the plague. tion) to the kangaroo, or even to The Coalition/ALP policies of economic rationalism have systematically depopulated rural Australia. In the country, we should build our most Australians, until recently? decades ahead. the just plain radical shrinkage of tained over several generations, then villages near stagnant pools, and And, should mankind ever threaten In fact, the danger today, after the human race. As a January 28, the population declines by a quarter particularly encourage settlement in to “run out of room”, there are bil- three decades of Malthusian poli- 2002 article in The Age by Pamela in each generation. “According to de- all marshy and unwholesome situa- lions and billions of galaxies, each cies, is not overpopulation, but Bone pointed out, if an average fer- mographic projections,” Ms. Bone tions. But above all we should rep- with billions of worlds in them, underpopulation, both in terms of tility rate of 1.5 births per woman (the points out, “if Japan’s very low fertili- robate specific remedies for ravag- which we can colonise, beginning the work force required to support actual rate in a number of advanced ty rates persist for 200 years, there will ing diseases; and restrain those be- with “earth-forming” Mars over the an aging population, as well as in sector countries at present) is main- be no Japanese left.” Page 10 The New Citizen April 2006 The Infrastructure Road to Recovery Populate or Perish

LaRouche’s “Potential Relative Population Density” ife on Earth is governed by the worsened by the Lresults of human cognition, as effects of deple- Table 1 Chart 1 Vernadsky and LaRouche have tion, or improved Development of human population Population Densities Life Population World understood. If society is truly hu- by means of irri- Persons per Square Kilometre expectancy density population at birth man, and promotes cognition gation or fertili- Country 1999 2050 Comments (millions) through scientific and technolog- sation, for in- (Projected) Primate Comparison (years) (per km2) ical advancement, then its poten- stance. A techno- Australia 2 3 Gorilla 1/km2 .07 tial relative population density logical change Chimpanzee 3-4/km2 1+ will rise, and also its actual popu- within one coun- Afghanistan 34 94 Man lation, as we saw in Australia in try can make pre- 20 Australopithecines 14-15 1/10km2 68% die by age 14 .07-1 the post-war years. Let us look a viously unusable Argentina 13 B.C. 4,000,000 - 1,000,000 bit more closely at this concept, land, fertile, so in- Homo Erectus Japan 335 278 14-15 1.7 as promised above. stead of measur- B.C. 900,000 - 400,000 Man’s unique ability to make 164 Paleolithic (Hunter-gatherers) ing simple square Indonesia 110 18-20+ 1/10km2 55% die by age 14; average age 23 discoveries of the physical prin- kilometres, we ac- B.C. 100,000 - 15,000 Germany 230 205 Mesolithic (proto-agricultural) ciples which govern the universe, tually have to 20-27 4 B.C. 15,000 - 5,000 and to embody them in new tech- consider relative Mexico 50 75 nologies, gives him an ever great- square kilome- Neolithic, B.C. 900,000 - 400,000 25 1/km2 "Agricultural revolution" 10 er power over nature. Thus, with tres. We must Nauru 539 1126 Bronze Age 28 10/km2 50% die by age 14 50 less effort, man can accomplish therefore measure B.C. 3,000 - 1,000 Village dry-farming, Baluchistan, 5000 B.C.: 9.61/km2 India 304 465 Development of cities: Sumer, 2000 B.C.: 19.16/km2 more, which represents a real econ- relative popula- 2 omy of labor. tion density. Late Bronze Age: Aegean, 1,000 B.C.: 12.4-31.3/km2 United States 29 37 2 As LaRouche explains in his Second, there is Shang Dynasty China, 1000 B.C.: 5/km Iron Age 28 50 1995 economics textbook, So You usually a signifi- United Kingdom 241 232 B.C. 1,000 - Wish To Learn About Economics, cant difference Source: United Nations Mediterranean Classical Period 25-28 15+/km2 2 100-190 B.C. 500 - A.D. 500 this increasing power over nature, between the cur- Roman Empire: or economy of labor, is best meas- rent size of the population, and As mankind adopted Italy: 24/km2 Asia: 30/km2 Egypt: 179/km2 ured in the amount of habitable the size of the population which the rock-drug-sex coun- 2 land area required to sustain an could potentially be supported us- terculture and the Shanxi: 28/km2 Shaanxi: 24/km2 Henan: 97/km2 * Shandong: 118/km2 average person, i.e. population ing existing levels of technolo- “post-industrial” socie- *Irrigated river-valley intensive agriculture ty that went with it density. In a hunting and gather- gy. For instance, if Australia were European Medieval Period 30+ 20+/km2 40% die by age 14 220-360 ing society, the population densi- to employ all the technologies it some 35 years ago, his A.D. 800-1300 Italy, 1200: 24/km2 Italy, 1340: 34/km2 ty is estimated to be one person had developed over the years, for potential relative pop- 2 2 2 2 per 10 square kilometres. Today, the benefit of the nation, what ulation density col- Europe, 17th Century 32-36 Italy, 1650: 37/km 545 Belguim, 1650: 50/km2 Japan, with negligible physical re- would our population be? That is lapsed, as we are now Europe, 18th Century 34-38 30+/km2 "Industrial Revolutiuon" 2 2 sources, has a population density the potential population. seeing globally. To re- Italy, 1750: 50/km France, 1750: 44/km 720 of 335 people per square kilome- To compare one culture to an- verse this madness, to 2 tre or 3350 people per 10 square other, therefore, we have to meas- prepare for this growing Massachusetts, 1840 41 Life expectancies: Industrialized," right; 1,200 United Kingdom, 1861 43 90+/km2 "Pre-industrialized," left kilometres, precisely because of ure the potential relative popu- population (as well as Guatemala, 1893 24 the technologies employed by Ja- lation density, and, more specifi- to even sustain what we European Russia, 1896 32 Czechoslovakia, 1900 40 pan in its industrial processes (at cally, its rate of increase. Thus, ad- presently have), we Japan, 1899 44 least until its anti-industrial turn vancing potential relative popu- will have to build rail- United States, 1900 48 Sweden, 1903 53 beginning in the 1980s under An- lation density is a moral question, roads across our conti- France, 1946 62 glo-American pressure, which has because it is the use of this unique- nent; dam rivers and India, 1950 41 ruined Japan and its potential rel- ly human quality of creativity, create power stations; Sweden, 1960 73 1970 1975 ative population density.) See Ta- which enables progress to take travel into space; solve United States 71 2 2,500 ble 1. place. Contrary to the howls of salinity problems; edu- West Germany 70 248/km2 Japan 73 297/km2 However, simple population- cultural relativists, one can rank cate our children; pro- China 59 2 density requires certain adjust- societies as morally better, or vide universal health India 48 183/km2 2 3,900 ments. worse, as more human, or less hu- care; harness safe nucle- Belgium 333/km First, land varies in quality for man. In fact, as LaRouche says, ar processes for water A growing “potential relative population density” means more human beings, with longer and healthier human habitation, so that one “Only societies whose cultures desalination and ener- lives, and a greater potential for cognitive development. A stagnant or declining population is the sign of square kilometre in one country, commit them to successful tech- gy production; build a sick society. cannot be directly compared to nological progress, as a policy of new cities in remote ar- one square kilometre in another practice, are qualified to survive eas; develop and protect our agri- dren’s future. then they will destroy this nation. country. Land is subject to the rel- and to prosper. Indeed, only such culture and industry; and estab- If our Government chooses not It is your job to see that they adopt, ative technological level of the societies are morally qualified to lish a perfectly sovereign nation to promote that which uniquely instead, the Infrastructure Road to culture that inhabits it, and can be survive….” state republic to secure our chil- makes us human—cognition— Recovery.

LaRouche: A Vision for the Next Fifty Years

From Page 3 the population has, more and So that’s what we’re doing. And those who wanted to do some- more, drifted away from the po- it has been a change. It’s not per- thing to the world, knew you systems and economic analysis litical parties. There used to be fect, it’s a fight. Because I have couldn’t destroy the United systems, which do not correspond political parties which were mass some very notable enemies, inter- States from the outside, by out- to reality. And right now, if you political parties, in which a very nationally, including inside the side force—but you could de- look at the ratio of monetary ag- significant amount of the gener- United States, especially from the stroy it by corruption. And gregate, financial aggregate, al population participated in par- same gang that gave us Adolf Hit- there’s a lot of corruption, a lot against physical aggregate, over ty organisations, especially in the ler in the last period—they’re still was applied. the past period, since the 1970s, Democratic Party after Roosevelt. around. They’re bankers. They But some of us are fighting. the rate of financial aggregate per Politics in the party were based don’t wear uniforms. They don’t And we’re having some success. capita and per square kilometre, on the people in the party, not on carry swastikas. But they have But, at the same time, you have has been going up, like that. The the big money. But on the peo- them in their head, and they do to look at this, finally, this way: rate of financial emission, has been ple in the party. That changed, the same kind of thing that the That what has to be done—and I going up like that. [See the Triple with the change in policies, un- Synarchist crowd did, that did think I know pretty well what has Curve Function, p. 1.] Now, the rate der Nixon, especially. things between 1922 and 1945 in to be done, and know what could of monetary emission, recently, or Those changes in policy, meant Continental Europe. We’ve got be done, politically and other- monetised emission, has gone up the people became more and more them in the United States. Some wise—what has to be done, can more rapidly than the financial, as estranged from their government, The U.S. Democratic Party is being re- of them helped put Hitler into pow- not be done on this planet with- a recent phase of crisis is entered. estranged from their political par- vived and mobilised around the platform er, here, from the United States. out a leading role from the Unit- In the meantime, in the same pe- ties. The parties began to be con- written by LaRouche (above). Firms like Harriman and so forth, ed States. We have to do that job. riod, there’s been an accelerating trolled by a tinier and tinier mi- who laundered the money to the If we do the job, then we need collapse, in physical output per nority, from the upper 20% of Nazi Party at the end of 1932, so forces in Europe, particularly, capita. family-income brackets, leaving your mass-based party? If the Hitler didn’t go bankrupt, and was who will join with us, in making We have a doomed culture, a the majority outside. people don’t control the parties, around to be appointed by the the job international. That’s the doomed civilisation, based on We’re going to have to change where’s your democracy? What’s British as a Chancellor, here. only chance we have. If we in what happened since the middle that. And we’ve begun the it mean? It doesn’t mean any- the United States do not do our of the 1960s, in the shift from the change: It happened in the sum- thing. It’s when the people are The Real United States job, in the advanced state of the productive economy of the first mer of 2004, with the Conven- participating, actively, in the So, that’s the fight we have. We world crisis today, I don’t think two decades of the post-war econ- tion in Boston, where I had the question of government, where can’t guarantee any results in the civilisation will escape a Dark omy, to this kind of orientation only platform for the Democrat- they’re arguing and fighting United States, except we’re do- Age. If we do our job, and we toward services and a globalised ic Party. They didn’t have a par- about what concepts mean—not ing the job. But, I can say, that have collaboration with people economy, which is destroying us. ty! They didn’t have a party plat- slogans—but, “what does this you have to have a clear under- in Europe, I’m sure we can conform. They got one, and we be- mean?” They’re trying to understanding of looking at the Unit- vince other parts of the world to Reshaping U.S. Politics gan to reorganise them. Gradual- stand what it means. And a real ed States historically, not in join us. And we can win. We can Now, therefore, what we’re do- ly it’s coming back. We find that leader is not someone who tells terms of moods and gossip, as bring back civilisation. ing in the United States, we’re we’re way ahead of the party lead- people what they want to hear: A you get in Europe today. The But that’s the hard reality, dealing with the same thing: The ership, in going out and organis- real leader tells them what they United States is not a bad nation. which I see. And, being an older Democratic Party which had been ing the local party organisations. need to know, and gets out there, It’s as good as any on the planet, fellow, and more frisky than my considered the party of Franklin They don’t have a sense of a mass- and does the job of convincing and better than most. The prob- enemies would like to have me, Roosevelt, decayed. Both major based party. You want to talk them that that’s what we need to lem is, because we were good, I enjoy the fight. [applause] parties decayed. About 80% of about democracy? Well, where’s know. and because we were powerful, The New Citizen April 2006 Page 11 The Infrastructure Road to Recovery— Let’s Build Our Way Out of the Depression! Building a Nation: The Snowy Scheme

n 1967, before it was even fin- The generators of the Scheme are ally, while others took up senior Iished, the American Society of large enough to produce up to positions in other governmental Engineers rated the Snowy Moun- 17% of southeastern Australia’s en- construction Authorities, like the tains Scheme as “one of the seven ergy requirements, but produce Hydro-Electric Commission of engineering wonders” of the mod- only 5% because of the limited Tasmania, the Electricity Commis- ern world. amount of water available. How- sion of NSW, and the Sydney Wa- The Snowy Scheme is the larg- ever, the Scheme’s large capacity ter Board. The Snowy also had a est single infrastructure project in enables it to produce a lot of pow- profound impact on safety practic- Australian history, and an appreci- er for short periods, which, among es (it was the first project to man- ation of its magnitude, and the way other things, means it can provide date the wearing of seat belts, for in which it transformed postwar emergency support to the electric- instance), in technological proc- Australia, provides a model of how, ity systems of southeastern Aus- esses, and in quality control. once again, to think in terms of tralia in the case of a major black- But, perhaps more important, the building our nation. out, and it could start up a whole Snowy transformed Australia’s The scheme took one generation electricity system if a total black- sense of what the nation itself was to build, from 1949 through 1974. out occurred. In emergency situa- capable of. It was finished on time, and under tions, hydropower can provide en- Australia had never tackled any- budget, for $820 million for a na- ergy within two minutes, compared thing so vast. Initially, most of the tional asset which will last for hun- to the hours or days it takes to contracts and design work were let dreds of years. Over 100,000 peo- crank up a coal or oil burning plant. out to foreign firms. However, very ple worked on the Snowy Scheme, The Scheme transformed Aus- quickly, Snowy Commissioner Sir two-thirds of them “new Austral- tralia in many ways. For the con- William Hudson, the legendary ians”, who were given hope and an struction industry, for instance, figure with sole responsibility for opportunity to make a new life, and according to Martin Albrecht, driving the project forward for its to contribute to building a young Managing Director of Thiess Con- first two decades, sent young Aus- nation, Australia, after the death and tractors Pty. Ltd., one of the Aus- tralian engineers off to America to destruction of World War II, partic- tralian firms which played a key study, to learn the techniques em- ularly in Europe, where most of the role in building the Snowy, ployed in the great Tennessee Val- new Australians came from. “The experience gained by in- ley Authority (TVA) project which The Scheme covers an area of dividual engineers participating in covered seven states, and which 7,780 km2, with sixteen dams, sev- the Snowy Scheme had a profound the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation en power stations (two of which influence on the culture of the con- had used in building the great are underground), 145 km of tun- struction industry beyond the life American dams, such as the gigan- nels, and 80 km of aqueducts. It of the scheme. The early 1960s saw tic Hoover and Grand Coulee dams diverts the headwaters of the rapid growth of Australian heavy in the American West. As Martin Snowy, Eucumbene and Mur- construction, including roads, rail- Albrecht recalled, rumbidgee Rivers westward ways, pipelines, dams, bridges, “William Hudson adopted the through the mountain range, reports, coal-fired power-stations, practice of talking to most of his leasing extra water without charge power transmission, mineral engineers individually on their re- into the irrigation areas of the processing, materials handling, turn home. His persistent question- Source: Snowy Mountains Hydro-electric Authority Murray and Murrumbidgee. The mining, oil refining and industrial ing generally led to the observa- heart of the scheme is Lake Eucum- plant. The blossoming Australian tion by the returning engineer- The Snowy Scheme covers an area of 7,780 km2, with 16 dams and seven power stations. bene, the Scheme’s biggest reser- contracting industry bolstered by trainee that ‘we are individually voir, with a volume nine times that the pool of talent available from just as competent and as well edu- the USA to learn. We must get rid of of the first group of twelve young of Sydney Harbour. From there, the Snowy Scheme greatly facili- cated as the American engineers. our Australian technical and cultur- engineers whom William Hudson huge underground tunnels carry tated this growth.”1 If we work together and use man- al inferiority complex’.” sent to America to be trained, Prof. water to and from the two major Many of the engineers who had agement systems as they do, we can But perhaps the best way to ap- Lance Endersbee, and the second parts of the Scheme, the Tumut (and worked on the Snowy took up lead- become world-class here, too.’ To preciate the Scheme, is from two is about William Hudson himself, on to the Murrumbidgee) and the ing positions with engineering this William Hudson would sum up accounts of individuals deeply in- the driving spirit behind the Murray. firms in Australia and internation- ‘that is the main lesson I sent you to volved in it. The first is from one mighty project. The Snowy Vision by Emeritus Prof. Lance Endersbee AO, FTSE 2

he concept of the Snowy Moun- was a need for greater electricity Ttains Scheme captured the im- supplies for new industries, and agination of all those involved. there were blackouts as supplies From the beginning, the chal- failed to meet the demand. The in- lenges of the project attracted ternational situation had become young and capable people. They tense again. There was an Iron Cur- were supported by wise leadership, tain across Europe. It was the time and encouraged to accept tasks to of the Berlin Air Lift. the full limit of their capacity. They The Snowy Scheme was a plan had access to the best world expe- for the nation, for national devel- rience. opment. The prospect of diverting As the work proceeded, new the Snowy waters inland had been challenges arose. Problems were considered for over 60 years, very being solved as they arose in prac- seriously in times of drought, but tice, and innovations were being always leading to argument be- adopted without any delays to the tween the colonies, and later the overall progress. There was excel- states, about the rights to the wa- lent co-operation within the Snowy ters. team of engineers involved in in- In 1941, Mr. L.R. East, Chairman Nelson Lemmon employed the Defense Act vestigation, design, and contract of the State Rivers and Water Sup- to ensure the great Snowy Scheme was administration, geologists and lab- ply Commission of Victoria pro- built. oratory scientists, and with the posed that the Commonwealth and tigations and evaluation of alter- contractors. There was a united fo- the two states of NSW and Victoria native proposals was the task of E. cus on achievement. create a separate authority to un- F. Rowntree, Engineer for Major The scheme evolved in overall dertake the work, on the lines of Investigations. concept and was improved in de- the River Murray Commission. Rowntree had been a courageous tail. The project was finally com- However, the allocation of the di- aerial observer in World War I, and pleted not only on time and with- verted waters to the states of NSW, had won the Distinguished Flying in the original estimate, but with Victoria, and now also to SA, re- Cross for several missions at low much greater installed capacity mained contentious. altitude in the face of heavy ma- and electricity output, and with In 1943 the conflicting propos- chine gun fire. He was a member much greater water storage. That als for the development of the of a Quaker family in Hobart, but ensured secure water releases for Snowy waters led Mr. Arthur Cal- the pacifist Quakers disapproved irrigation in long term drought. well, MP, to ask in Parliament that of his war effort. After World War I “plans be formulated for the best he worked with the Hydro-Electric Plan for the Nation use of the waters in the interests of Department in Tasmania, where he It is now 50 years since the the people of Australia as a whole.” designed entire hydro-electric Snowy Mountains Hydro-electric In 1946, the Commonwealth and projects virtually single-handed- Power Act of 1949 was passed by State Ministers from NSW and Vic- ly. His professional background Drilling at the Tooma-Tumut Tunnel, 1959. These great Australians built “one of the seven the Commonwealth Government. toria finally discussed the nation- was ideal for the task of develop- engineering wonders” of the modern world. The time was right. al aspect of the project. The engi- ing a plan for the Snowy Scheme. The nation had almost been in- neering investigations for the He assessed many possible alter- sole occupation of Ted Rowntree Tumut River for power and irriga- vaded during the war. Darwin had project became the overall respon- native layouts. Every variation over about four years. He alone tion in the Murrumbidgee Irriga- been bombed. Ships had been sunk sibility of the Commonwealth De- involved site inspections, estima- carried out the development of tion Area, thereby gaining NSW along the east coast. Enemy sub- partment of Works and Housing, tion of river flows, and calculation ideas, and studies of economic fea- support for the project. marines had entered Sydney Har- The Director General was Mr. L.F. of reservoir capacity and regula- sibility. It was a remarkable Another remarkable contribu- bour. During the war, almost all Loder (later Sir Louis). The Direc- tion of storages, outline designs achievement by one man. Rown- tion was by O.T. Olsen, an officer civil works had been deferred. The tor of Engineering was Ronald B. and costs of dams, tunnels and tree developed the concept of the of the State Electricity Commis- nation now had to rebuild. There Lewis. The detailed work of inves- power stations. This task was the diversion of Snowy water to the sion of Victoria, who had carried Page 12 The New Citizen April 2006 The Infrastructure Road to Recovery The Snowy Scheme

Top Left: Two of the six generators at Tumut 3 Power Station can provide enough electricity to power a city the size of Canberra. Photo: Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Authority Top Right: The six pipes of Tumut 3 are each 487 metres long, 5.6m in diameter, and collectively contain 10,260 tonnes of steel. Photo: Gabrielle Peut Right: Underground power station Tumut 1 in construction, 1958. Photo: Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Authority out the investigations for the sneak through the guard and they the Commonwealth Parlia- Kiewa hydro-electric project in could blow all your power stations ment was Robert Menzies. Victoria, and had studied the po- out without an effort! You’ve got He formally opposed the tential of the Snowy River from the Bunnerong built on the water, proposals of the Govern- mountains in NSW to the sea in you’ve got the big one at Wollon- ment. But he privately con- Victoria. It was Olsen who pro- gong built on the water ... they gratulated Lemmon after posed the diversion of the Upper could blow all your damned elec- the passage of the Snowy Snowy River to the Murray River tricity out in one night’s shooting! Act. Shortly thereafter there for power production and irriga- Where’ll you produce the arms, was a change of govern- tion along the Murray River. (The where’ll your production be with ment, and Robert Menzies development of the significant all the power of New South Wales became Prime Minister. He hydro-electric potential of the buggered?” Chif says, “You might accepted the decision of Lower Snowy River still awaits its get away with it ... If you can get Parliament to proceed with place in time.) Evatt to agree with it—and if the enterprise, supported These two concepts came to- there’s a case he’ll have to fight it the Snowy Authority, and gether in the detailed studies by in the High Court—if you can get ably dealt with the consti- Rowntree, leading to an overall Evatt to agree, I’ll go all the way tutional issues that contin- concept that met the objectives of with you!” ued to arise as the work pro- a plan for the nation as a whole. Lemmon went to see Evatt. He ceeded. Menzies ensured The final reports were presented to knew that Evatt did not like Ded- the continued flow of funds the Commonwealth and State man, who was the Minister for De- to meet the needs of the project. Committee, and then to the Pre- fence and Minister for Post-War Creating Competence tion of designs and specifications miers’ Conference. The next task Reconstruction. They were rivals. An Organisation for the Task: The critical challenge from the for certain tunnel projects and was to build the project, in circum- Lemmon told Evatt that Dedman A Corporation Sole beginning of the Scheme was the dams, and provide training and stances that would be alive with had said they could not use the The administrative form of the enormous magnitude of the task experience for a number of Snowy prospects for continued rivalry Defence Act. Evatt’s support of Snowy Authority was deliberately ahead. There were very few engi- engineers. and procrastination by state gov- Lemmon was immediate. Lemmon chosen to ensure that the construc- neers in Australia with experience At the beginning of 1952, ernments. had his constitutional defender. At tion of the project would proceed in projects of that magnitude. The twelve Snowy engineers began Much of the credit for establish- the Premier’s conference, Prime unimpeded by changes in the po- Authority had attracted an initial work with the Bureau, studying ing the Snowy Authority should Minister Chifley advised the Pre- litical environment. The construc- team of mostly young engineers, their practices in design and con- go to Nelson Lemmon. He was the miers that the Commonwealth tion of the Scheme was seen as an many with honors degrees and all struction of dams and tunnels. Minister for Works and Housing would proceed with the Scheme engineering task, and Cabinet pre- with strong potential, but with no Eventually, over 100 young engi- in the Australian Government of under the Defence powers. The Pre- ferred the appointment of a single experience at all in hydro-electric neers benefited from the program. Prime Minister Ben Chifley. A miers were taken by surprise by this outstanding engineer to manage engineering or major projects. In I was in the first group of 12 en- Western Australian, he was deter- decision and simply noted the the Project, unimpeded by any retrospect, it seems that only the gineers. My own assignment from mined that the national interest matter. They then proceeded to the Board or group of experts, or any Commissioner had any compre- the Snowy was the study of the would prevail, but understood that next business. representatives from state govern- hension of what was involved. design of tunnels and under- the Australian Constitution of It was an immense gamble, but ments. They deliberately chose The Authority decided to obtain ground structures. The Bureau of 1900 did not assign any powers to there was no other way. Lemmon rule by one man. overseas assistance in the prepa- Reclamation promptly set me to the Commonwealth to build a was aware that the Commonwealth The Authority was formally con- ration of designs and specifica- work in the Denver offices on the project like the Snowy Scheme. did not even have the power to stituted as a single commissioner. tions for certain of the first major actual designs for the Eucumbene- The key objectives of the Snowy compulsorily acquire land for the Thus the Snowy Mountains Hydro- projects, and also to train the Tumut trans-mountain diversion were to develop electricity and project, as that was a state func- Electric Authority was, in law, one young engineers to a level where- tunnel, the associated regulating water resources, and these activi- tion. The Commonwealth did not person. That was a fundamental by the Authority could complete structures, and Junction Intake ties remained as residual powers have powers over diversion and use departure from a normal ministeri- the remainder of the Scheme from Shaft. of state governments. of water resources. al department, although the con- its own resources. After 12 months I returned to Here is Lemmon’s account of Chifley and Lemmon decided to cept of corporation sole had been At that time many engineers Cooma with a big bundle of con- what, I believe, is one of the most move quickly towards construction quite effective in other public en- around the world had been in- tract drawings and specifications decisive moments in Australian to offset any possible legal chal- terprises. spired by the achievements of the for the Eucumbene-Tumut Tunnel history: lenges from the state governments, In the case of the Snowy Scheme, American civil engineers in the im- and Associated Structures, Tumut I went to Chifley ... and I said, especially NSW. For this reason the it was outstandingly successful. aginative public works they built Pond Dam and T1 Pressure Tun- “There’s only one way to handle Snowy Act of 1949 concentrated on There was no indication that the during the thirties. These projects nel, hoping I would be able to an- this... Put the whole thing under the hydro-electric aspect of the ultimate control of the project by a were undertaken in a deliberate swer any questions on the details the Defence Act ... and we’ll be the Scheme, but not the diversion of single commissioner was anything program of national economic re- of the projects. boss.” He said, “WHAT? Your water inland for irrigation. The costs other than beneficial. covery from the disastrous effects The relationship between the name’s Nelson Lemmon, not Ned of the project were to be recovered It was Nelson Lemmon who se- of the Great Depression. These experienced Bureau engineers and Kelly—you can’t do that?” So I from power charges, with the addi- lected William Hudson as the Com- great U.S. public works included the young Australians was excep- said, “Why can’t I?” “Well,” he tional water for irrigation being pro- missioner, and made a single rec- the projects of the Tennessee Val- tionally cordial. We appreciated said, “you tell me how you can!” vided at no cost to the benefiting ommendation to Cabinet. The ley Authority, and many big the way they openly shared their So I said, “Listen! You had subs in states of NSW, Victoria and SA. record of the project shows that projects by the U.S. Bureau of Rec- experience with us. They liked the the Harbour. The way we’re build- These considerations of residu- Hudson was an extraordinarily fine lamation such as Hoover Dam, and way we were eager to learn, and ing everything now, all they want al state rights for public works, un- choice, and that the combination of the Central Valley Project in Cali- asked questions. is a decent cruiser and they could der the Constitution, have meant capable leadership and unimpeded fornia. This strong example in The happy association with the that the Snowy Scheme remains the authority enabled the huge project America undoubtedly aided the Bureau of Reclamation was un- only national public infrastructure to be built on time and within the acceptance of the idea of the doubtedly of tremendous benefit The project in the history of our nation. estimate. Snowy Scheme in Australia, and to the Authority, and to Australia. The project only became possi- Hudson selected his two Associ- encouraged Lemmon and Chifley The concept of such detailed co- Citizens ble through the leadership of two ate Commissioners. Mr T. A. Lang, to provide similar direct and vig- operation with an agency of an- Electoral Council groups of outstanding people. It a young and distinguished civil orous leadership. other government, and the conse- was the engineering experts under engineer, and Commissioner of Ir- The Snowy Authority decided quent inter-governmental agree- is on the Dr L.F. Loder who developed the rigation and Water Supply in to seek assistance in the United ment, was an act of much foresight WEB. vision of a national project. It was Queensland, and Mr E. L. Merig- States for the initial group of ma- and a credit to all concerned. the political leaders, Prime Minis- an, Electrical Engineer, State Elec- jor projects. This prospect was ex- Within a few short years of the ter Chifley and Minister Lemmon, tricity Commission of Victoria. amined in America by Associate Authority being formed, the Updated daily who believed that the merits of the Australia had a population of only Commissioner T. A. Lang. He pro- young engineers had matured into grand design outweighed all objec- 8 million in 1949, and there were posed an agreement between the a capable, confident and united en- tions on legal and constitutional wide-ranging and critical post-war Commonwealth of Australia and gineering team. www.cecaust.com.au grounds, and courageously began shortages of men and equipment. the United States of America It is now of interest to reflect that the Scheme. It was the beginning of a great ad- whereby the Bureau of Reclama- it was all deliberately planned that The Leader of the Opposition in venture. tion would undertake the prepara- way. The New Citizen April 2006 Page 13 The Infrastructure Road to Recovery The Snowy Scheme

William Hudson: Snowy Mountains Engineer Reprinted from The New Zealand Edge3

William Hudson, an inspiring leader and civil engineer, headed the construction of the Snowy Mountains Scheme.

orn in Nelson, New Zealand, workforce that came to Snowy also Bin 1896, Hudson was educat- meant that it came from countries ed at Nelson College and studied who had fought on opposite sides civil engineering at London Uni- during World War II. As Brad Col- versity. When Hudson told his fa- lis writes in Snowy: The Making of ther of his decision to study engi- Modern Australia, neering, the response was, “Bill, “In the primitive workcamps that’s all you’re bloody well good high in the Australian Alps Eng- for”—an ironic understatement for lishmen, Germans, Italians, Aus- the man who was to forge one of trians, Poles, Greeks, Dutchmen, the world’s great engineering feats. Portuguese, Spaniards, Hungari- When war was declared he enlist- ans, Swiss, Swedes, Finns, Czechs, ed in the British army. After the war Lebanese, Latvians, Russians, he graduated with first class hon- Danes, Cypriots, Ukrainians, Amer- ours and completed post-graduate icans, Turks, Frenchmen, and Nor- study in France before working for weigians, more than thirty-three a large British engineering firm, nationalities in all—shared hard Armstrong Whitworth. work and laughter, ate from the Tourists have the opportunity to experience the great legacy of nation building, viewing the grand Tumut 2 power station, which is 244 same cooking pots, drank at the metres below the surface at the end of a kilometre-long-tunnel. Photo: Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Authority The Chosen One same bars and vowed to keep eth- He returned to New Zealand in nic hatreds out of this young coun- at Snowy well before it was a re- scheme was completed in 1974, ment, made a fellow of University the 1920s to undertake supervi- try which promised them a new quirement elsewhere, and drinking under budget and before dead- College, London, a fellow of the sion of the construction of some of life.” while in charge of an Authority lines. Royal Society, endowed with an New Zealand’s first hydro-electric vehicle was a dismissible offence. There were many design and honorary doctorate from the Aus- power schemes at Mangahao and Rugged Conditions Hudson was aware of opposition construction innovations achieved tralian National University and Arapuni. After work in Australia For the pragmatic Hudson this to the project by taxpayers (espe- in the scheme, in particular the was honoured with an Australian and Scotland, Hudson became melting pot was a management cially from those away from the technique of rockbolting. Previ- stamp. The American Society of New South Wales Chief Civil En- challenge, not just in terms of the southeast), and recognising that ously concrete lining had been Civil Engineers twice rated the gineer and in 1948 was personally cultural dynamic, but in terms of postwar Australians were now go- usual in protecting workers from scheme as one of the great engi- approved by Australian Prime safety, of which he was acutely ing on holiday in the family car, unstable rock when tunneling, neering achievements of the Twen- Minister Ben Chifley to head the conscious. The living conditions he developed escorted car convoys Under Hudson’s charge research- tieth Century, and as well as con- construction of the Snowy River were extremely rugged, even prim- round the scheme to promote a ers developed innovative rock- tributing pivotally to a pancultur- scheme. itive, with some comparing tem- sense of communal ownership. Bus bolts which were used to individ- al society; it put a young, primari- In the post-war 1940’s Austral- peratures to fighting on the Rus- tours were also accommodated. ually tie a rock face to the rock ly agricultural country at the fore- ia’s acute needs for water, power, sian Front during the war. The work- Tour operators convinced parents beneath it. When linked together front of world construction tech- labour and capital were the most ing environment was equally as all over Australia that their chil- in a pattern they provided a lateral nology. Australia’s highest award important challenges it faced. As hazardous, with workers having to dren’s education was incomplete force that obviated a need for con- for engineering excellence is demands for agricultural exports contend with difficult access without a school or family tour. crete lining, a technique begun at named in his honour. In 1958, then increased and the manufacturing across hastily made tracks, and tun- This stroke of inspired public re- Snowy and recently used in the Australian Prime Minister, Sir Rob- sector boomed, irrigation and pow- neling and working round-the- lations, selling the scheme to tax- construction of the Sydney Har- ert Menzies, spoke of the triumph er became pressing concerns. De- clock on wet and snowy mountain- payers, and the younger genera- bour Tunnel. of the scheme: “In a period in spite opposition to the project, sides. tion who soon would be, opened Above all, it grandly met its pri- which we in Australia are still, I these concerns, along with a per- “Generally you worked in teams up the Australian alpine region for mary aims, harnessing snow melt think, handicapped by parochial- ceived need to modernise indus- so you could watch each others’ tourism, with the infrastructure that from the Australian Alps, diverting ism, by a slight distrust of big ide- trially and defend against the com- backs. It was a harsh environment Snowy provided eventually pav- it westwards under the mountains as and of big people or of big en- munist threat, determined that the at the face. Newcomers needed ing the way for Australia’s modern to irrigate the arid interior for food terprises; this scheme is teach- scheme must go ahead. mates to watch out for them until ski resorts. production, while generating hy- ing us and everybody in Australia William Hudson took up duty they became acclimatised to the Hudson was given substantial dro-electricity as the water falls to to think in a big way, to be thank- on 1 August 1949, under the Snowy conditions. powers in the interests of speed the level of the plains…. ful for big things, to be proud of Mountains Hydroelectric Power “With up to thirteen drilling ma- and achievement, and he used [H]aving recently celebrated its big enterprises; to be thankful for Act, and on 17 October 1949 he chines working on a jumbo, visi- these powers effectively, creating 50th anniversary Snowy remains big men.” fired the first explosive charge, bility would be cut to just a cou- an organisation based on profes- an important asset and documents William Hudson: big man for a starting a project that would ple of feet after fifteen minutes sional disciplines. His manage- a massive human achievement— big scheme. launch Australian engineering and through fog from the water-cooled ment style was hierarchical, but reflected in no one more so than industry into a new era and usher drills, dust and exhaust fumes— based on a respect for hard work William Hudson. As Sir James Gob- Footnotes in an enduring multi-cultural leg- not a very pleasant breathing at- and excellence. bo, Governor of Victoria, stated in acy. 1. This quote and the following are mosphere either. the 1999 Ian McLennan Oration, from a paper Martin Albrecht delivered “It worsened what was already Leader By Example “He [Hudson] enjoyed the re- to the Australian Academy of Techno- United Nations of Snowy poor visibility, remembering the He could be a staunch boss, spect of both staff and workers for logical Sciences and Engineering, in No- From the beginning Hudson only illumination in the first place he worked with prodigious energy vember 1999, entitled “The Spirit of the pushing engineers, administrators Snowy—Fifty Years On”. Albrecht’s pa- was urged to recruit mainly from were lamps. Changing thirteen foot and workers alike to vigorously and single mindedness and was overseas to avoid taking skilled drill bits in two feet of visibility per is entitled, “The Australian Construc- keep to budgets and timetables. very much directly in touch with tion Industry—the Snowy Legacy”. personnel away from other post- meant you needed to know what Towards those he didn’t consider the site and job difficulties. He be- (http://www.atse.org.au/publications/ war reconstruction work. Workers you were doing”. were pulling their weight he was lieved in the project passionately symposia/proc-1999p4.htm) Addition- from “acceptable” countries intolerant, and sackings for less and managed to ensure its survival information for this introductory sec- proved difficult to garner so Hud- Safety and Innovation al through some difficult early tion was provided by the Snowy Moun- than 100% commitment were com- tain Hydroelectric Authority (http:// son initiated a bold and innova- Years before McLuhan coined monplace, written into the stand- years when its success remained to tive program which saw hundreds www.snowyhydro.com.au) the phrase, Hudson’s Snowy coming orders of all supervising offic- be proved and when doubters, es- 2. Reprinted from On Line Opinion of thousands of immigrants drawn munity resembled a tangible glo- ers. Driven by a desire to quash pecially amongst the politicians http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/ from Germany and the Mediterra- bal village. The diversity of the criticism of the scheme, Hudson were numerous”. April00endersbee.htm Prof. Endersbee nean countries. Consequently a force developed quickly into a uni- urged contractors onwards and Hudson resigned grudgingly in also authored a paper refuting the luna- cosmopolitan staff and work-force fying strength socially, but in safe- tic proposal to corporatise the Snowy, tunneling crews repeatedly broke 1967 aged 71 and died eleven preparatory to selling it off. The attack was created, many expecting wel- ty terms it was seen by Comission- world records. Some viewed him years later in 1978, after receiving come release from the devastation, on the Snowy also involves the proposal er Hudson as an added risk. His as tyrannical, but he was also international acclaim. approved in late 2001 by the Scheme’s turmoil and unemployment of solution for the many non English- down-to-earth and only demand- owners, Victoria, New South Wales and post-war Europe. Few of the work- speaking workers was to make ed of others what he expected of Praise and Acclaim the Commonwealth, to restore 28% of ers appreciated the difficult and English language classes a man- He was knighted Sir William the Snowy’s original flow, on alleged himself: “I like sudden problems. “environmental” grounds. demanding living conditions that datory requirement for safety. As They’re a challenge. I like build- Hudson in 1955, awarded the Ker- they would soon find themselves well, the wearing of seatbelts in Au- 3. Web address http:// ing dams. They’re a job to be mont Memorial Medal for Out- www.nzedge.com/heroes/hudson.html in. The varied composition of the thority vehicles was compulsory done.” Under his leadership the standing Engineering Achieve- Page 14 The New Citizen April 2006 The Infrastructure Road to Recovery— Let’s Build Our Way Out of the Depression! Great Water Projects

3 Daly and Roper Rivers 4 Flinders, Nichoolson, Key to the Projects and Leichhardtt Rivers 5 The Reid Scheme, and the Mitcchell,

Ord and Victoria Rivers 2 Darwin

Gulf of Cara pentaria 6 The Bradfield Scheme

Fitzroy River 1 ronon Cairns

me er 7 The Dawson Scheme Townsville

Mackay Dam 8 The Burnett River Rockhampton Scheme

dabergr

Carnarv

risbane L.E 9 Thhe Clarence Sccheme

Geraldton RGrafton

R n 10 Thee Murray-Darling Perth Bassin Perth/ Wheat Belt 18 Sydney B r e Esperance

W Albany im

Adelaide 15 e

17 Esperance to Kalgoorlie pipeline ng Northweest Victoria 14 Melbourne wasste water diversion 13 trait Bass S 11 The Franklin Dam, Melbourne 12 Burnie and the Summer Rains Project 0 De 500 Kilometres ncestonn Queenstown Fra nklin River TASMANIA Hobart

Water for Australia

Our national water needs, and conquer our dry, largely empty con- how to provide for them, are illus- tinent, as well as the deepening de- trated in this sub-section (pp. 14- pression. The precise details of each 21) and in our special New Citi- project (some bits and pieces of zen Lift-Out Feature. The Lift-Out which have been completed), are maps, “Australia’s Water Prob- much less important, than the gen- lems” and “New Great Water eral approach, which is to think big, Projects”, are between pages 22 i.e. to think of the continent as a and 23. whole, and to think longterm, of what will be required over the next he situation in much of rural 25-50 years, at minimum, with much Tand regional Australia was stark- higher rates of growth than the neg- ly portrayed by Ernie Bridge, upon ative real growth rates of the post- his quitting the ALP in 1996. industrial (and, increasingly, “post- Bridge was a former Western Aus- agricultural”) nonsense of the past tralian MP and Minister for Re- three decades. As the 1996 Austral- sources Development, and is pres- ian Encyclopedia was forced to ac- ently the chairman of the Watering knowledge, in describing such Australia Foundation. projects as the Clarence, Bradfield “Governments nowadays are sim- and Reid Schemes, in particular, ply mauling inland Australia. The “Modern investigation methods practice of so-called micro-econom- have ensured that most of the pro- ic reform or economic rationalism, posals are feasible in technical and call it what you like, has brought engineering terms,” though it pro- about the most destructive disman- tests that “the same can not be said tling of basic infrastructure in this for their economic feasibility.” nation’s history and it is apparent However, such well-chosen, well- the major parties are not prepared to engineered projects, provided that The Murray-Darling Drainage Basin, which has only 6.1% of Australia’s surface water ( >80% of which is already committed) is recognise this and alter their eco- they are integrated with other vital Australia’s agricultural heartland, producing over $16 billion in agricultural products. Imagine what more could be done with the huge, nomic policies.… When one sees aspects of infrastructure, such as a virtually uncommitted resources of the Timor Sea Drainage Division (20.3% of the total), The Gulf of Carpentaria (23.3%), the North- population reductions of over 50% high-speed rail system to get prod- East Coast (21.1%), the South-East Coast (10.6%, but largely uncommitted), and Tasmania (13.3%, largely uncommitted.) in some areas of our nation, it emerg- ucts to market, are always cost-ef- Source: The Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering es as a frightening situation. I can- fective, because they unleash far not stand back and see good bat- more revenue-generating econom- nonsense, see the Queensland Gov- or from the CEC). came out a far richer nation than we tling Aussies simply handing over ic activity than they cost, provided ernment’s Office of Northern Devel- And remember, by the standards went in. The present depression must the keys to banks at such regular one calculates on a real, physical opment figures on the economic prevailing in 1939, we “couldn’t be tackled with similar methods, and intervals as is happening. When you basis, and not on the lunatic “user- activity to be unleashed by the re- afford” to fight World War II. Yet, as similar determination. talk and look into the eyes of many pays”, “full cost recovery” method vised Bradfield Scheme, versus the Ben Chifley used to emphasise, we Australia’s growing water short- people of the outback, you see signs of economic rationalism, which is cost of that scheme, which proves, spent 350 million pounds per year ages, will only be overcome through of fatigue and a loss of hope.” expressly designed to ensure that hands-down, that the scheme will during the war versus 60 million per the kind of bold projects outlined By contrast, the great water little or nothing will ever be built. more than pay for itself—in fact, it year pre-war, and, notwithstanding on the Lift-Out map, “New Great projects depicted on the maps, and For a refreshing example of some- almost pays for itself in a single year! the great losses of men and material Water Projects”. The projects elab- described in more detail below, are thing in the direction of such real, (available from the office of MP Bob (and the fact that war production it- orated in the pages that follow, pro- exemplary of the scale upon which physical accounting versus the Katter, who has spearheaded the effort self, as opposed to its technological vide the vision around which we Australians must think, if we are to bean-counting “it costs too much” to finally build the Bradfield Scheme, spin-offs, is usually a dead loss) we must mobilise our nation. The New Citizen April 2006 Page 15 The Infrastructure Road to Recovery Great Water Projects

1. The Fitzroy River n evaluation by Prof. Enders- excellent sites for dam building. irrigation, and this is probably one smaller scale in 1997, WA Senator Abee: “The Fitzroy in flood is And dam building is rather easy of the best sites in the world for Alan Eggleston said the Fitzroy by far the largest river in Austral- because the river virtually dries out major, highly mechanised, inten- Scheme would take 10-15 years to ia, and at the height of the mon- in the winter. And so I have been sive horticulture. You can design develop, and it would provide di- soon season it is really quite an proposing and talking to the West- it as a massive project. Anything rect employment to 3,000 people enormous river. And it floods over ern Australian government about smaller is uneconomical, really. and 7,500 indirect jobs. While in In flood, the Fitzroy’s water volume is sec- the lower flood plains below the this, and I have been suggesting The Fitzroy could easily support Opposition, ALP WA Premier ond only to the Amazon. It has an annual to them that above the Great Sandy two or three or even five million runoff of 8 million megalitres; metropolitan Fitzroy crossing. There it rushes Geoff Gallop opposed the scheme Sydney uses one-half million megalitres a through gorges upstream of these Desert, that I think I could devel- people.” (and probably still does), as did year, by comparison. (A megalitre is 1 mil- plains, and there are really narrow, op at least a half a million acres of Estimating the project on a Kim Beazley and the federal ALP. lion litres, the volume of an Olympic-sized swimming pool 1 metre deep.) 2. The Ord and Victoria Rivers hand. With completion of Stage 2 and increased emphasis on horticulture, the overall potential of the Ord Irrigation JOSEPH BONAPARTE GULF Ord is possibly five to eight times Project Location greater than the present level of output. On the other hand, nothing has been done whatsoever to investigate the potential of the CAMBRIDGE nearby Victoria River. The poten- GULF tial for irrigation is probably equal in magnitude to the Ord….The Creek combined potential of the Ord and OPIK HILL the Victoria could be 10 to 16 times k Cree

the present output of the Ord, Emu which would make it one of the Grant Cleanskin great irrigation regions of the reek world. The new port of Darwin and C ONSLOW rom Prof. Endersbee’s testimo- the new rail to southern markets oogarooga Fny to the House of Represent- enhance this potential. The com- M Oakes Creek

atives Standing Committee on bined projects would fully justify HILL RIVER Primary Industries and Regional the construction of a new rail con- S

Services, April 1999: nection from Katherine to Ku- WEABER E JEREMIAH K I was recently in Kununurra as nunurra, and also the improvement ORD RANGE guest of local governments in that of roads for road-trains to the east WEABER IVER PLAIN ek RIVER region, and had the opportunity via Mt. Isa. I have also proposed Cre Grass Flats Carlton Hill Wyndhamam R for aerial and ground inspections the consideration of a new ferry Hstd eedy R of the Ord and Victoria River re- terminal at the mouth of the Victo- PLAINSLAINS KEEP False gions. After my inspection I sug- ria River, which would be in easy Rooof Hill House GREAT gested to the Councils that they trucking distance for all farms in Creek should plan on the basis of the the region. I think the new railway NORTHERN integrated development of both from Katherine to Kununurra MANTINEA Buttons Knox FLATS WEST BANK OF ORDD IVANHOE the Ord and Victoria River irriga- should be put in hand immediate- PLAIN

Creek tion areas, and should also con- ly, with completion at the same IVANHOEE sider the possible inclusion of the time as the Alice-Darwin railway. Mt. Septimus Daly River irrigation areas. The The Ord irrigators could readily Mt. Cecil Mile combined developments would plan to substantially increase sales VICTORIA . HIGHWAY KununurraK BURT greatly enhance the growth oppor- to southern markets via that rail- HI RIVER GHW tunities in the entire region…. At way. The new railway service will AY Eight Location Diagram Mt. Rob N.T. the present time the Ord Project is create a new demand, and the re- Area shown

PACKSADD BORDER operating well at Stage 1. The consulting freight volume could read- LE PLAIN BIYOOGOONG N.T - W.A. in main map DECEPTION HILL PLAIN Western Sheba Hill Australia tinuing development of horticul- ily rise to one train each day for a Perth ture is leading to higher returns. large part of the year. This would

BOYD 0 The next major stage is Stage 2, be of major benefit to the Alice- DUNHAM R Proposed power line 5 5 10km and detailed planning is now in Darwin railway. CAR Homestead N RIVER Highways Major Roads Minor Roads FigureKING 1: Ord River Dam and developing Hydroelectric Power Station Rivers The Ord River Project in Potential Irrigation Areas theEast Kimberley Region, Western Australia Stage 1 - Irrigation Area Water expert Prof. Lance Endersbee has recommended that the Ord and Victoria Rivers be Developed developed in combination, on a vast scale; the Daly River has significant potential, as well. Proposed power Map redrawn from information complied from Information on This could be one of the greatest irrigation projects of the world, right on the doorstep of OYD Public Works Department 36537 "ORD IRRIGATION B PROJECT, PROJECT AREA MAP", Topographic maps, and Asia’s huge and rapidly growing population centres. DUNHAM ground surveys. CARR Original map produced by AGWEST Land Management, LAKE ARGYLE Department of Agriculture, Western Australia

3, 4. The Daly, the Roper, and the Gulf of Carpentaria Rivers

Gulf country, there is a huge run- the largest rivers and there are absolutely vast areas, where there we would pick up all of those irri- off into the Gulf of Carpentaria, in good dam sites there, we can store is irrigation potential, good soils gation areas, and it would be pos- this monsoon season. And on the water to about 500 metres. Now and there could be a fantastic va- sible to ship food, and food prod- range, between the Gulf and the the level of the land over a good riety of crops. Now the potential ucts out via Broome, or out of Dar- eastern coast of Queensland near contour, in most of Western of the Flinders River, could easi- win. The potential is absolutely there is the Atherton tablelands, Queensland, and Central Queens- ly support several million people, enormous, its fantastic in invest- and the rivers that flow towards land is about 200 metres. So if we the volumes of water are just so ment terms. The problem is, that the gulf from the Atherton table- can store water at 500 metres, in great. And we’ve got these irriga- the magnitude of monies in- lands, flow through fairly deep the Upper Flinders, we’ve got 300 tion areas. Once again the prob- volved is so great, that everybody gorges, on their way to the plains metres to play with. The level of lem is access to markets. If you takes fright and it is not possible and the Gulf [the Mitchell, Staat- the water is 500 metres. So that join up all of those projects to- for them to look at it as an invest- rof. Endersbee: “Going further en, Gilbert, and Norman rivers]. gives us a fairly significant head, gether, if we have an interconnect- ment, on a cost-benefit basis. But Peast [from the Ord/Victoria There are a number of sites there that is available to help pumping. ing railroad, virtually going from that’s not how you should look at scheme] there is the Daly and the where it would be possible to have And you go south from the Broome right across the top, and it. It is a national project, like the Roper Rivers, they also have po- major dam sites and reservoir stor- Flinders River, south from Hugh- towards Mount Isa, and then Snowy.” tential. I’ve recently been in the age. The Flinders River, is one of enden in Queensland. There are South, and across to Hughenden,

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5. The Reid Scheme 6. The Bradfield Scheme Great Dividing Range, would be er Dam would be about 5 km long t the direction of the Queens- fice of Northern Development pro- diverted into the headwaters of the and 60 m high; and the dam creat- Aland state government, in jected that the scheme would cre- Flinders, and eventually into the ing the reservoir bordering the Gre- 1984 four of Australia’s best- ate $2.02 billion annually in direct Diamantina. To do this, Reid pro- gory Range would be 19 km long known hydraulic engineering output from the cattle industry, ag- posed to build a dam at the head- with a height sufficient to create a firms combined to form the Brad- riculture, etc., not to mention the waters of the Walsh River, a tribu- head of 80 m. The volume of water field Study Consortium. Their billions saved in drought losses. tary of the Mitchell, and to link under this scheme could be con- Bradfield Study Consortium Re- Vast numbers of jobs would be cre- this storage dam with nine other siderably increased by bringing in port, together with an optimistic ated, both in the construction and dams on the headwaters of the oth- the headwaters of the Mitchell, assessment by the Department of in the follow-on development of er westwardly flowing rivers, and Palmer, Normanby and Laura riv- Northern Development, was nev- this area. thence into the Flinders and Dia- ers, but this would mean increas- er officially released due to a Since the time Bradfield pro- mantina. ing the size of all canals and tun- change of government in Queens- posed his scheme, the Burdekin As envisioned by Reid, the nels to handle monsoon rains. land. But in July 1993, all of the Falls Dam on the Burdekin River scheme was to include 275 km of Reid also reviewed and elabo- relevant Shire Councils of North was completed in 1987, in the mid- canal 84 metres wide by 11 metres rated the plans of Dr. J.J.C. Brad- and Central Queensland joined dle catchment of the Burdekin, with deep, 17 km of tunnels, and 216 field, proposing to bring the flood together to form the Northern Aus- a storage of around 1.85 million km of 1.5 metre pipeline. A total of waters of the Herbert, Burdekin, tralian Water Development Coun- megalitres. Whether or not the Bur- 7.5 million megalitres of water Clark, Basalt and Cape Rivers cil, to fight to make Bradfield’s dekin is utilised in the revised Brad- he Reid Scheme is an inspir- would be stored in reservoirs, most across the Great Dividing Range dream a reality. The estimated cost field Scheme, Stage 2 of the devel- Ting proposal, on the scale of of which would be bound by the into the Thomson River. of the revised Bradfield Scheme opment of that dam should go the Snowy Mountains Scheme. As Gregory Range. Dams were to be (which called for pumping water ahead, under which the dam wall designed by Brisbane engineer constructed wherever the canal over the Great Dividing Range would be raised (it was built to al- L.B.S. Reid in the 1940s, the flood crosses a river, with three large dam instead of the tunnel originally low for such expansion), which waters of the Walsh, Tate, Lynd, walls of note: The Einasleigh Riv- foreseen by Bradfield, among other would allow the storage to increase Einasleigh, Etheridge and Gilbert er Dam would be over 6 km long changes), was at that time $2.49 bil- to 8.5 million megalitres above its Rivers, which flow west from the and 76 m high; the Etheridge Riv- lion. The state of Queensland’s Of- current capacity.

The Reid Scheme The Bradfield Scheme

M Herberton i Ta To Gulf of Carpentaria tc te R. he Innisfail ll R iv L er y Ravenshoe n d TULLY Mt Garnet DAM Walsh Blunder R Ck Tu iv l e ly r R Open cut channel HERBERT River sh R. DAM Wal H Tunnel 13 miles long Lyn e River rb e To Gulf of Carpentaria d Tate r t R G . ilb L. Lucy er ert R E iv River Tate ina R R sl ei Ingham R gh n Einasleigh oc i River k R k E y T e at i d R th e v r R e u iver e . r r B id HELLS GATE g 12 e m i C F le R R. DAM E g Lynd o R i li e e z p i r a v y bet Fossi p k e C h C e C . . l r Brook r f y i e a Junc N r t l io d n G E . . R R i C n

i e

v TOWNSVILLE a rk

s W E e a r l l e C

h To Gulf of . Carpentaria R B Y . u appar R C r o d

p G e p k G e i i l r n

R f i

E e e S

Clara R. l Tunnel through Great Divide G Robertson.R d r R O t . R R R which takes backed up water i Y v . from the Hell's Gate Dam to e R C A Percy R. Flinders r N h G a Norman.R E T rt Open cut channel ow ers Dam Wall G Tunnel C er Reservoir a s r m GREG p O C a r R e Y a s e Tunnel RANG GREAT Flin p p v E d e e i e Burra R rs a R R R iv RETIC . e . t r

HOUSE r

C o

k T t t k e o n u l D e Saxby.R . e r S R t r l d o k el e C Staw n n i a e n li DIVIDING h me ug s v A H C i . r . C e d R e e g . To Gulf of Carpentaria on r k tt o C i Flind u Stewart C. G e D in

s T ers River tt p n

e u o B c .

r L w o R a P RANGE s n e g r d r Walker e h d s lin b i SPRAY F l SPRAY O l o 'C C PIPES PIPES C. r o o r R n u e

n g e Rupert C. k e h l a

l C C . r e n e k g POWER PIPES The Reid Scheme e

Hamilton C. gham C. Key D Muttaburra Cornish Ck i am Wokin Dams Water flow an POWER HOUSE t in a R Canal Reservoir The Bradfield Scheme iv e r Werna C. Rivers/Creeks Pipes SCALE OF MILES Tunnels Aramac 0 50 100 r Ranges e v 100 kilometres i

R n Approximate line of Bradfield's so To Lake Eyre 60 miles m Longreach 0 ho proposal T First proposed in the 1940s, the Reid Scheme is a bold nation-building project on the scale of the Snowy Scheme. During World War II and for some years later, the Bradfield Scheme was regarded as the logical next step in building and securing our nation, after the Snowy. Beginning in the early1980s, Queensland MP Bob Katter revived the scheme, in a revised form. The New Citizen April 2006 Page 17 The Infrastructure Road to Recovery Great Water Projects

7. The Dawson Scheme son Scheme has now been cut back to only the Nathan dam, which is to be a much smaller dam at that. Even this may never be built, since the state of Queensland insists it CairnsCaiCairC BURTON GORGE DAM TownsvilleToTowT Nebo be built by “private enterprise.” PROPOSED PLAN MaMacMackay N AREA But the potential of the project was RockhamptonR expressed in a January 10, 1998 article in the Courier Mail, “The BundabergBBu Isaac storage of up to one million mega- BRISBANE nnonnors litres of water is expected to be a Co St Lawrence catalyst for development along River hundreds of kilometres of Austral- kilometres ia’s biggest eastern-flowing river 0 50 100 Marlboroughough Clermont catchment. With little more than BUNDOORA DAM er 10% of its capacity harnessed by a THERESA CREEK Riv FITZROY RIVER series of weirs, the Dawson is seen DAMD BARRAGE eresa Creek Th riginally planned as a $3 bil- by proponents as one of the last ckenzie Weir EdenE Bann Ma great opportunities for inland wa- zroy River lion scheme to include a pow- Bedford Weir R Weir

O Fit iv ter development.” Emerald Town Weir e er station and rail lines, the Daw- r Rockhampton Emerald Selma Weir Blackwater Comet Weir

Duaringa Com iver Duaringa weir site

R FAIRBAIRN et DAM Don River

Springsure Riv Neville Hewitt Weir Call e Dawson CALLIDEC LID r Cree Nogoa ide DAMM k Rolleston Biloela KROOMBITT

Moura Weir Brown DAM

Theodore Weir Theodore

Rive Riv

er r Orange Ck Weirr Gyranda Weir

Glebe Weir NATHAN DAM SITE

Taroom InjuneIn Utopia Downs First proposed in the 1920s, Gauging the Nathan Dam on the Dawson could be the centrepiece for a $3 billion development project. Source: Queensland Government Department of Natural Resources

8. The Burnett River

n 31 January 2002, Federal

Environment Minister David O Kemp signed off on a $168 mil-

lion deal to build the 300,000 Ml Burnett River Dam near the old mining town of Paradise, as per fea-

sibility studies of Burnett Water Pty. Ltd., a company established by the Queensland Government to develop water infrastructure in the Burnett Catchment. Scaled down from a much larger $240.7m, 750,000 megalitre proposal, the

dam will still have the capacity of over half that of Sydney Harbour,

and will be Queensland’s first major dam proposal since the Teem- burra Dam in 1990. Burnett Water

Pty Ltd has additionally recommended building Eidsvold Weir on the Burnett River, Barlil Weir on Barambah Creek, and raising Jones Weir by 1.5m and Walla Weir by 2m. These projects will increase the available water supply in the

region by 70%, with near-term net benefits estimated at between $1.7 billion and $2.9 billion, and 1,200 jobs created during the construction phase and 9,000 jobs as a spin- off. Bundaberg City Council May- or Kay McDuff called the projects “the greatest news in decades.” Federal and State approval is still required for the Walla Weir raising that is expected to yield around 10,000Ml per annum.

The Burnett River Dam, together with a series of proposed weirs, would alleviate the chronic water shortages in the Bundaberg/Hervey Bay region. Source: Burnett Water Pty Ltd Page 18 The New Citizen April 2006 The Infrastructure Road to Recovery Great Water Projects

9. The Clarence Scheme he Clarence Scheme was sum- der between NSW and Qld. The they get the winter rains as well. So LaTrobe Valley and there is a sur- Tmarised in the News Weekly, July Macleay project would involve the there is a lot of rainfall there and it plus of thermal energy on the na- 12, 1997: “Several factors are now transmountain diversion into the all flows out into the sea, and if you tional grid and the national grid just combining to make it feasible and Gwydir River in NSW.” have been to Grafton, you know how goes right through there—past the economic to divert the seaward flow- The Clarence Scheme was elabo- wide the Clarence River is in Grafton. project.… So I knew that there was ing waters of the upper Clarence, rated by its designer, Prof. Lance It’s a big river. So I have worked out, a surplus of thermal energy over- Nimboida and Macleay Rivers into Endersbee, in a speech to the CEC designed a scheme for the diversion night and at weekends and so with the Murray Darling basin. The an- on November 23, 1997: of the Clarence into the Darling. this Clarence diversion, rather than nual flow of water available is com- “There is the catchment of the “Now, as you know, there is a lot tunneling through the mountains, I parable to that of the Snowy Moun- Clarence River and it is a wonder- of algae in the Darling…. This could pump it up the hill and so I tain diversions. ful little cup in there and very steep would flush all the algae out of the have devised a scheme whereby we “The Clarence Project would en- country, high rainfall and one of the Darling. I have designed this as a pump overnight and at weekends, able the development of further irri- highest rainfall areas in Australia, pump storage scheme. There is a and we generate at peak times, on gation along the Dumaresq and and they get the summer rains from surplus of thermal energy, coal fired the way down the hill, and the MacIntyre Rivers that form the bor- the monsoons coming down and thermal energy from the Hunter and project is economic!” 10. The Murray-Darling Basin rof. Endersbee: “There is an op- wealth Scientific and Industrial facturing based on food, and food we could easily justify a capital Pportunity to greatly develop Research Organisation. He’s told products and things like that. The cost, of $5 billion to start, then we the existing Murray-Darling Ba- me that the new chief of that or- agriculture in the Murray-Darling go, and get on with it…. However, sin, where they really only use ef- ganisation is looking at the same basin, plus the processing is some- the private sector is unlikely to em- fectively, something like 10% of possibility of doubling the output thing about $20 billion. [Prof. End- bark on the complete design and the water that is applied to the land, of food for the same volume of wa- ersbee has updated earlier esti- construction of entirely new irri- deplorably low. So I’ve been say- ter in the basin. Now, once again, mates of $16 billion.] Now we gation systems. This would in- ing, it is readily possible, to dou- that is a project that initially might could go pretty close to doing that volve new diversion weirs, pump- ble the efficiency, which means we cost $5 billion. The point is that again. In other words, we could ing plants, new lined channels to- could double the area of land, with the volume of output, at the present easily add another $20 billion dol- taling hundreds of kilometres, pipe the same volume of water or even moment in the Murray-Darling ba- lars, of output, for the same vol- distribution systems, and the open- go further. I’ve just been in touch sin, is about $20 billion a year, if ume of water. So, if that is the po- ing up of vast new lands for irri- with the Chairman of the Common- you add crops plus all the manu- tential value per annum, that means gated agriculture….” 11. Tasmania deed running short of power today. In other uses of water, the state government released its “Water De- velopment Plan for Tasmania” in August 2001, which includes the following projects, some of which have been long-planned: new irrigation in the Meander region by building the Meander Dam; increased irrigation in the South East; irrigation in the Clyde, Derwent and Jordan catchments by transporting water from the Great Lake/Arthurs Lake area; increased irrigation in the Circular Head Region in the North West; the Waterhouse project in the North East; the Long Marsh Dam ike much of rural Australia, Tas- project in the northern Midlands; Lmania is being rapidly depopu- increased irrigation supplies for the lated, with an Australian Bureau of South Esk basin; increased urban Statistics projection showing the and irrigation supplies on the East state will have only half of its present Coast; and water for irrigation from population of 470,000 by mid-cen- the Wesley Vale pipeline. tury. A huge 10% of people in the On a more inspiring scale, Bosch key age group of 18-38 have left the Engineering Pty. Ltd. in 1998 draft- state for the mainland in the past ed the Summer Rains Project, which decade, because Tasmania offers lit- identified the possibility of storing tle or no future. Tasmania must re- 300,000 megalitres of water to irri- vive the proud state-building tradi- gate some 60,000 hectares in 50 dif- tion of the Hydro-Electric Commis- ferent projects, which would in- sion, which, by the time “the Hydro” crease the state’s presently irrigated was gutted in the 1980s on the altar 45,400 hectares of 132%! By 2001, of environmentalism and economic Summer Rains Project proponents rationalism, had built far more in- had identified over 1,000,000 meg- stalled capacity in the state than the alitres of water storage, including entire Snowy Mountains Scheme. In the large-scale Waterhouse propos- the 1970s, the Hydro projected that al in the North East with a capacity a planned huge hydroelectric of 113,000 megalitres, which is now scheme on the Gordon River, includ- subject to state and federal feasibil- The Summer Rains Project has identified a million megalitres to irrigate major sections of Tasmania. ing the Franklin Dam, would provide ity studies, but which has no guar- sufficient electricity for the state antee of proceeding, given the “pri- until the year 2000. Due to meddling vatised” assumptions under which by the Hawke government, that dam it is being reviewed. was never built, and the state is in- 12, 13. Melbourne uclear-desalinated seawater the Great Dividing Range [which is Nwould solve Melbourne’s water near the outskirts of Melbourne] and shortages for the indefinite future. into river systems to the west. It would Some of Melbourne’s treated waste be one of the nation’s largest infra- and stormwater could be used either structure projects, involving the con- in Melbourne itself, or in Prof. End- struction of massive pumping sta- ersbee’s plan to use it, as summarised tions and hydro-electricity generat- in the Sunday Herald Sun of August ing plants and could cost $2 billion.” 9, 1998: “A bold plan to send Mel- The project is similar in concept to bourne’s waste water inland could the proposed Clarence diversion, and help prevent drought in large parts uses overnight pumped storage and of southern Australia and pay for it- peak generation to keep power charg- self by generating power and by sell- es to a minimum. ing water to farmers, says a leading Recently, Melbourne Water has Australian engineer. The massive in- proposed to pipe and re-use some of frastructure project would make use Melbourne’s vast waste-water run-off of some of the hundreds of billions to irrigate large areas west of Mel- of litres of Melbourne waste water bourne, from Werribee to the Yan Yean and stormwater which empties into mountains. Port Philip Bay and Bass Strait every day. A plan by emeritus professor Lance Endersbee involves construction of a pipeline starting 25 km north of the centre of Melbourne and a Prof. Endersbee’s plan involves construction of a pipeline starting 25 km north of the centre of Melbourne and a pumping system to pumping system to lift the water over lift the water over the Great Dividing Range [which is near the outskirts of Melbourne] and into river systems to the west. The New Citizen April 2006 Page 19 The Infrastructure Road to Recovery Great Water Projects

14. Northwest Victoria

wo crucial projects for north lined by the deputy premier and The Wimmera region in Australia…. National Party dep- Twest Victoria were summarised Minister for Agriculture, Mr. Pat uty leader Barry Steggall said the in The Age: McNamara, at the National Party 23 July 2001, “Push for state to project was first class. He called state conference in Stawell earlier back water plan”: “The Victorian on the government to conduct a The Mallee region this month. McNamara commis- Government is under pressure to feasibility study with a view to fi- sioned a detailed feasibility study commit to a multi-million dollar nancing works on the Wimmera- 22 April 1998, “Irrigation to by consultants Sinclair Knight plan to convert 16,000 km of the Mallee’s channels. Mr. Steggall boost exports”: “A Victorian Gov- Mertz, which showed it would be Wimmera-Mallee’s open channel said the project would be one of ernment proposal to boost agricul- possible to expand irrigation irrigation system to pipes to pre- the biggest infrastructure works in tural exports by doubling the size around Mildura and Robinvale by vent water wastage. The State Op- Australia, taking between five and of the irrigation system in the state’s up to 44,000 hectares…. Mildura position, the National Party, inde- 10 years. ‘This would deliver ab- north-west has received the back- Mayor Eddie Warhurst said the pendent MPs, the Victorian Farm- solutely huge gains to our ing of a key national water body. project would fulfill the dream of ers Federation and green groups society’.…VFF water resources The chief executive of the Murray the pioneers of the Mildura area, have called on the government to chairman Doug Chant said piping Darling Basin Commission, Mr. and gave the local community the endorse Wimmera Mallee Water’s Wimmera-Mallee’s 100 year old Don Blackmore, praised the opportunity to plan 50 years plan, which would save 83,000 channels was of vital importance scheme which would add up to ahead.” megalitres a year. Wimmera Mal- to the state’s farmers.” 44,000 hectares to the Sunraysia Subsequent feasibility studies in lee Water executives briefed Envi- irrigation area and increase exports 2001 recommended a much small- ronment Minister Sherryl Garbutt by $300 million. The plan has al- er project, to be incrementally in- on the $300 million project last ready been enthusiastically greet- creased over the years—an utterly week. Opposition leader Dennis ed by Mildura Rural City Coun- inadequate concept based upon a Napthine said the government cil…. The proposal to double the privatised approach to the whole should back the project, which he Sunraysia irrigation area was out- scheme. said was one of the most important

Legend Existing Main Supply Channels

Proposed Irrigation Development

Proposed Irrigation Development Areas (Secondary)

Existing Irrigation Areas

15, 16, 17 & 18 Text?

With the Alfred Deakin irrigation project, huge new irrigated areas (light and dark green) could be opened up around Mildura. Existing irrigators in the area (as opposed to big agribusiness) should be given the first options on acreage in the Deakin project, together with the necessary low-interest credit for expansion. Subscribe to the galitres estimated as “renewable”. Citizens Electoral Council's 15. Adelaide 17. Esperance- Other experts estimate that none ike those of Melbourne and Kalgoorlie Pipeline of the basin’s water is renewable, LPerth, Adelaide’s chronic wa- so that, even with judicious use, ter problems could be easily nited Utilities Australia has Australian Alert Service proposed to desalinate seawa- nuclear desalination will be need- solved through nuclear desalina- U ed at some point. tion. ter off Esperance and pipe it to Kal- goorlie-Boulder, to solve the re- A weekly newsletter to inform gion’s water shortage, a proposal 18. Perth/Wheat Belt you of up to the minute break- 16. Finke River most effectively done by nuclear n the short term, if water were ing international and Austral- n addition to his “Bradfield desalination. Additionally, in May Idrawn for Kalgoorlie-Boulder I Scheme”, Dr. J.J.C. Bradfield also 2000 Anaconda Nickel announced from the Officer Basin, supple- ian strategic issues, campaign- proposed a Central Australia the discovery of huge groundwa- mented by desalinated water scheme, based upon a series of dams ter reserves in the Officer Basin 400 pumped from Esperance, this ing and political organising, at gaps in the McDonnell-Musgrave km north of Kalgoorlie. Covering would enable the water now cultural ideas and much more. Ranges, to store the flood waters of around 260,000 square kilometres, pumped to Kalgoorlie through the the Finke and its tributaries, the Western Australia’s Waters and Riv- Mundaring-Kalgoorlie pipeline to 50 editions $275.00 channels of which flow towards ers Commission estimated the ba- stay in the Perth area. Ultimately, Lake Eyre. He envisaged an irriga- sin’s storage to be over seven mil- Perth, like Kalgoorlie, will have to 25 editions $165.00 tion project of 500 square miles, just lion gigalitres of groundwater of rely on nuclear desalination. 12 editions $85.00 (GST included) south of Alice Springs. variable quality, with only 14 gi- Phone: 1-800-636-432 Page 20 The New Citizen April 2006 The Infrastructure Road to Recovery— Let’s Build Our Way Out of the Depression! Conquering Our Salinity Problem

he great water projects pro- “The other problem is wetland of $5 billion for the Tposed above, will inevitably salinity in the lower parts of the project as a whole), raise the question, “What about the irrigation areas. such an approach salinity?” If one were to listen to “The Murray-Darling Basin would generate a flow the greenies, or to much of the mass comprises a deep basin of saltwa- of research and scien- media, one would think that the ter sediments. The salt is already tific studies which problem were mainly caused by there and has been for millennia— could rapidly lead to farmers out there drowning every the salt is a geological condition. an explosion of field in sight. However, of the two We get salinity in the surface soils wealth-creation in ad- kinds of salinity, 1) dryland and 2) if we irrigate in such a way that we dition to solving the wetland or irrigation salinity, the flood the groundwater. The saline salinity problem. And, latter comprises only 152,000 hec- waters then rise. Some of those ar- given that an initial tares, versus 2,180,000 hectares for eas of low-lying land should nev- investment of $5 bil- dryland salinity, according to even er have been irrigated anyway, and lion would double the government sources.1 Dryland sa- may now have to be taken out of Murray-Darling agri- linity results from excess water irrigation. The present irrigation cultural output to draining into an underlying water systems were designed virtually over $30 billion per table with the resultant rise of the without regard to groundwater. As annum, while largely water table bringing salt with it, a consequence, the use of irriga- solving the salinity while irrigation salinity is caused tion water is quite inefficient. The question, it is obvi- by over-irrigation of farmland (as overall efficiency of application of ously “cost-effec- CSIRO scientists have proposed to extract salt and other valuable raw materials from groundwater, in flood irrigation), inefficient wa- water in irrigation areas is no more tive”. In fact, it is far creating whole new industries while tackling the salinity question. Mining and processing the mineral sands ter use, poor drainage, seepage than 10%. more so than the “mar- of the lower Murray Basin, for instance, which are worth billions, could also make major inroads into the salinity problem. Source: CSIRO from irrigation channels, etc., all “When the settlers first went into ket-oriented” propos- of which also raise the water table. the Murray-Darling Basin, the als of the states and According to one CSIRO estimate, groundwater was much lower and Federal government involving The Aral plan envisions the ducing titanium from the mineral rising salinity levels are estimated all the surface waters were nice $1.4 billion over seven years; or widespread recovery of salts from sands in the Basin, while simulta- to cost Australia over $600 million fresh waters. By bringing in irriga- the multi-tens of billions of dol- saline evaporation ponds. A net- neously solving much of the sa- per year in lost production levels tion and raising the groundwater, lars proposal by the Federal par- work of solar-powered desalination linity problem: alone, not to mention the hundreds salt water has been brought to the liament’s environment and herit- plants and energy-storage ponds of millions of dollars in damage to surface and destroyed these fertile age committee under National Par- across the Murray-Darling Basin Australia’s heartland, the lower roads, buildings, and other infra- soils, particularly the low-lying ty MP Ian Causley, to tax every can then convert highly saline wa- Murray basin, may become the site structure.2 Putting the greenie/me- parts in the Murray-Darling Basin. Australian at least 1% of their an- ters to fresh water for local com- of literally a titanic mineral devel- dia hype to one side, it is clear that Now my approach to all of this, is nual income; or the ACF-NFF plan munities and value-added chemi- opment. The Basin’s ancient sedi- Australia does have a significant that it is far better to think about to spend $65 billion over ten years cals for industry.… ments are yielding mineral sands salinity problem, which it must redesigning the entire system. If we for who-knows-what. The plan also links into the de- already worth $13 billion, and the seriously address. redesign the entire system, we can Another exciting, complementa- velopment of major titanium and value is rising steadily. There are two approaches one double the area of irrigation— ry approach to that of Prof. End- mineral sands industries in the The story begins with the Mora- could take to this problem. The easily double the area under irri- ersbee, is the proposal by scien- Basin, based on the existing $13 vian Gulf, a huge marine intrusion first, preferred by Prince Philip’s gation for the same volume of wa- tists in CSIRO’s Minerals Division, billion resource and using value- the size of France which inundat- greenies at the Australian Conser- ter. The overall system would be as reported in a recent CSIRO re- added salts in the processing. Ti- ed the lower Murray-Darling Ba- vation Foundation, its allies in the much better. We could irrigate some lease: tanium, in turn, can be used to sin from Adelaide to Cobram and National Farmers Federation, and of the higher lands, design new ir- make corrosion-resistant parts for the Grampians to Broken Hill, six elements of Federal and State gov- rigation systems and canals and so Australia’s salinity crisis can be desalination plants. million years ago. Here wave ac- ernments, including some soon. The present system of irriga- turned to advantage, helping to The core of the plan envisages tion sorted and deposited the min- called “scientists” at CSIRO tion uses open channels and open create regional industries, jobs and the production of a host of new eral-laden sands in serried rows (though not others), is to use the ditches in the farms—all of that is an improved environment, a new industrial products and so lower- along ancient beach-lines. The re- salinity problem as an excuse to simply feeding water into the study by the national science agen- ing the environmental threat posed ceding waters left a series of fossil do what they want to do anyway: groundwater. In parts like the Mal- cy, CSIRO, says. by salt. strands, laden with ilmenite, rutile, shut down or radically cut back lee, in the porous red soils, the irri- An opportunity exists to tackle “CSIRO considers salinity can monazite and xenotime eroded Australia’s rural sector.3 The sec- gation channels and ditches just salinity by extracting valuable been seen as a resource and an as- from the bedrock. Among these ond approach—to actually solve virtually pour all the water into the minerals and chemicals for indus- set, as well as a liability. We have a deposits, on the lower slopes of the the problem—befits the dignity ground. Overall, there is such a try from saline groundwaters and lot of information about the rich- Grampians south of Horsham, are and creativity of human beings, colossal loss of water, that we have so reduce their impact on the land- ness and extent of this resource. some of the richest mineral sands and is coherent with LaRouche’s no alternative other than to plan scape and on agriculture, accord- We feel it is time to have this vi- on earth. discoveries in physical economy and redesign and redevelop the ing to Dr. Hal Aral of CSIRO Min- sion widely discussed and debat- Collectively, these deposits and with Vernadsky’s discovery of entire irrigation system.” erals. ed,” says Dr. Aral. equate with finding a world-class the concept of the “biosphere”. In Such a new irrigation system as “Substances dissolved in our “The Murray Darling Basin orebody in raw material value. But, the second approach, the salinity Prof. Endersbee calls for, would salty groundwaters can be used in could, potentially, become the cen- to Hill, the true opportunity lies in problem is recognised for what it feature drip-irrigation or similar the making of fertilisers, light met- tre of an Australian sustainable Australia being first to develop the is: a large-scale land-management systems which provide only as als, plastics, industrial chemicals, chemical industry—drawing on a low-cost process that will make ti- problem, which can be solved by much water as the crops can actu- oil refining, pesticides, glass, fibre vast natural resource, and integrat- tanium a ‘household’ metal, like re-design, re-building, and ally use. Such concepts would be glass, ceramics, bleach, soaps, de- ing production so that one indus- aluminium or steel. changed land-managemnt practic- built into all the great projects the tergents, dyes, inks, sewage treat- try uses the waste products of an- “The mineral sands of the Mur- es, together with the application CEC has proposed above, right ment, sugar refining, alcohol brew- other. ray Basin are a treasure as they of new technologies. This must be from the outset. ing—the list is almost endless,” “We also believe the large-scale are—but if we can take them down tackled on a national level, with To tackle the task of Murray- says Dr. Aral. removal of salt from the Basin will the whole processing chain to tita- the appropriation mobilisation of Darling salinity, Prof. Endersbee Dr. Aral and colleague Dr. Gra- have a beneficial impact on salin- nium, they could be worth seven- manpower and resources. has proposed to assemble a nation- ham Sparrow, propose the creation ity, as well as generating wealth ty times as much,” he says. Typical of the latter outlook is al team of top level engineers and of new industries to extract valua- needed to combat landscape salin- For over a generation the Mal- Prof. Lance Endersbee’s proposal scientists to evaluate the Basin as ble raw materials from the ground- ity, making it less of a drain on the lee, Wimmera and Riverland re- to solve the salinity problem in a whole, from a national and not water, using natural evaporation national coffers. gions and surrounding pastoral Australia’s agricultural heartland, merely a state standpoint, and to and solar energy. “Investment in these new indus- and irrigation country have stag- the Murray-Darling Basin, which develop a strategic, top-down ap- For instance, ordinary salt can tries will bring new businesses and gered under the boom-bust cycles produces over $16 billion in agri- proach. With the appropriate fund- be crystallised out of groundwater skills to inland Australia, nurture of agriculture, and stared down the cultural products per annum. As he ing level (at a “ball park” estimate by evaporation, then used to make local communities, increase access barrel at the looming menace of recently put it: chlorine, hydrochloric to better services for residents, and salinity and landscape decline. In acid, sodium hydrox- generate more secure long-term Rod Hill’s vision, mineral sands ide, sodium metal, soda employment.” offer an antidote not just to eco- ash, sodium bicarbo- Dr. Sparrow estimates that an nomic and community woes, but nate and table salt. early stage industry adding value to environmental ones as well. The Among these are sub- to Murray-Darling salt could be new industry can be used, not just stances which can be worth $200 million a year, as well to pay for but actually to repair, used in the processing as helping to lower the threat to the damaged landscape…. of titanium and zirco- the heartland’s water quality and Hill’s view is that Australia is nia. farming industries. perfectly placed to develop a glo- Once the salt is re- bal-scale industry in industrial- moved the water, As noted elsewhere in this report, grade titanium, using new metal known as “bittern”, still the use of the HTGR reactor for production and fabrication proc- contains magnesium, large-scale desalination would be esses that can deliver metal mill potassium, sulphates, inherently much more efficient products at around $US5 a pound, boron, strontium, bro- than the solar-energy proposal of compared with the present figure mine, iodine and other the CSIRO scientists, but their of $US10 a pound. If that still useful compounds. overall approach is enormously sounds dear compared with steel, These range from ep- exciting. And the prospect of cre- it’s because it overlooks the essen- som salts, worth $400- ating a world-leading titanium in- tial qualities of titanium. It’s 43 per 800 a tonne, to fertilis- dustry in the process, was elabo- cent lighter than steel, stronger, er ingredients, cement rated by Dr. Rod Hill, chief of more flexible, more corrosion-re- ingredients and many CSIRO’s Minerals Division, in an sistant. What really counts is the other chemicals more article, “Dawn of the Titanium volume of metal you use for a giv- valuable still. Bittern Age”, in the Australian Financial en task—not its weight. Salt harvesting at Port Hedland in Western Australia. With the development of precious-mineral extraction can be directly used in Review of October 2, 2001. Dr. Hill The big market opportunities for technologies for the saline ground water of the Murray-Darling Basin, these salt harvesting operations the mining industry as is confident that Australia can industrial-grade titanium, Hill could yield more minerals than just Sodium Chloride. (AAP/Muchenberg) a dust suppressant. halve the current world cost of pro- says, are in major global industries The New Citizen April 2006 Page 21 The Infrastructure Road to Recovery Conquering Salinity such as transport, where it can pro- est exports in its own right. —most of which Australia current- erals and chemicals, the so-called ucts and processes can establish vide superior structural compo- Environmental issues particular ly imports at high cost. “Bittern fraction”. These can be Australia as world light metals lead- nents for cars and trucks, construc- to the Murray basin that may arise The salt extracted from saline extracted by evaporation for mak- er, adding a third leg to the remark- tion, where it can furnish girders, are that the mineral sand contain- water can be treated to produce ing cements, fertilisers, dust-sup- able developments in aluminium frames, supports and even clad- ing formation is also an aquifer for byproducts used to extract miner- pressants and simple or sophisti- and magnesium, Rod Hill believes.4 ding of greater durability, beauty the saline waters, and that radioac- als. One is sodium hydroxide, cated industrial chemicals. and toughness, chemical process- tive thorium is associated with which is used in the production of This way, a mineral sands indus- In addition to Prof. Endersbee’s ing and desalination, where its cor- some of the deposits. Solutions will zirconia, zirconium metal and par- try could help in the fight against proposal for the Murray-Darling rosion-resistance is a major plus, need to be developed for both. tially stabilised zirconia (PSZ), the salinity not only by creating the Basin and the CSIRO proposal just and marine construction. But there is a breathtaking pos- super-hard ceramic now used in economic wherewithal—but also cited, there is an interesting range One of the advantages of miner- sibility: mining and processing everything from false teeth to en- by actively exploiting the enemy of other research underway on sa- al sands production is that those the mineral sands of the lower gine parts. A second is hydrogen itself, Hill asserts…. linity, including the use of crops environmental blues of the 70s and Murray Basin could make inroads chloride, used in the production The benefits are not confined to specially adapted to salinity, and 80s have made it one of the clean- into the salinity problem which of titanium dioxide, on the path- southeastern Australia. Opportuni- the strategic use of perennial plants est, greenest, resource industries in now threatens vast areas of the way to making titanium metal. ties also exist in southwest WA, to counter salinity and waterlog- business today. The art of extract- catchment, making money and cre- The salt which is poisoning Aus- along some parts of the eastern sea- ging. These and other research ing the small proportion of valua- ating jobs into the bargain. tralia’s landscape may thus be- board and in central Australia in projects underway may well prove ble minerals from these sands and The salty groundwaters used in come a key condiment in the reci- the Musgrave ranges on the WA/ complementary to such larger, top- then restoring entire living land- mineral extraction can themselves pe for a new advanced materials NT border where major new ilmen- down approaches as the Enders- scapes of farmland, forest or native be “mined” for everything from industry, Hill argues. That’s not all. ite and nickel deposits have been bee/CSIRO proposals. vegetation is so mature it is fast common salt to low-, medium- and Salty groundwaters also contain a found. becoming one of Australia’s proud- high-value minerals and chemicals host of other useful dissolved min- The combination of these prod- Footnotes

1. National Airborne Geophysics Project holder is Queen Elizabeth II, played a dorsed National Competition Policy as a example, on ABC’s 7:30 Report on June for planting “40 billion trees” to solve the National Report as seen at the National Dry- key role in both National Competition way to stop any significant water 14, 1999, presenter Justin Murphy, who problem. Southcorp has also allied itself with land Salinity Program webpage at: Policy and in founding the ACF, the lat- projects. Nor, given their common oli- claimed that 15 billion trees had been the economic rationalist fanatics, the NFF. http://www.ndsp.gov.au/NAGP/nre- ter through RTZ’s longtime chairman Sir garchical sponsorship, that the wiped out since settlement, asked Wil- Besides wiping out most farmers, plant- port/nrchap1.pdf Maurice Mawby, a founder of the ACF “leftwing” ACF and the “rightwing” NFF liams: “Does this mean that we’re growing billions of trees to deal with salinity is 2. The $600 million estimate is from and one of its chief early fundraisers. would prepare a joint report, “Repair- ing the wrong things in the wrong place, a dubious business in the first place, par- a CSIRO media release, July 3, 2000. For instance, the 1992 Hilmer Commis- ing the Country,” which calls for spend- in the wrong way?” Williams replied, ticularly when one considers the over- http://www.pi.csiro.au/Media/MediaRe- sion, which initiated the whole “national ing $65 billion over ten years to “repair “There has to be a radical change. We’re whelming evidence that Australia at the leases/2000/MR03-07-00.htm competition” scam had three members, environmental damage”, which would talking about afforestation of large ele- time of European settlement was charac- 3. On the Prince Philip-founded Aus- two of which, chairman Fred Hilmer and be more of a huge tax on the economy, ments of the landscape.” Murphy: “With terised by vast plains of rich grassland with tralian Conservation Foundation, see Mark Rayner, had been longtime top fig- than anything else. (On the Crown’s role the farmers either leaving or being helped minimal tree cover, and that the trees were footnote 10 of the Introduction to this ures at Rio Tinto. The company is also a in setting up “land rights”, see “Aborig- to do something else?” Williams: “Leav- only planted later. See the historical accounts feature. Prince Philip’s personal hatred major funder of such hotbeds of Mont inal ‘land rights’: Prince Philip’s racist ing or helped to do something else, or the cited by Dr. Christine Jones (as well as her of great water projects was exemplified Pelerin economic rationalism as the CIS, plot to splinter Australia”, CEC, 1997, forestry enterprise itself. That has enor- own thought-provoking contributions to the in his flying to Tasmania in the early IPA, Tasman Institute, etc. Together with 48 pp.) mous social implications.” salinity debate, which run directly contrary 1980s in an attempt to stop the construc- “Aboriginal land rights”—another Whereas some CSIRO scientists have Williams’ enthusiasm for replacing to the prevailing dogma on the matter), in tion of the Franklin Dam, as well as in Crown/Rio Tinto project—the purpose proposed exciting, and even highly prof- farmers with billions of trees, would seem her articles in the 5-part series “The ACF honcho Tim Fischer’s threat that of such ideological fronts is to splinter itable plans to solve the salinity crisis to be shared by Australia’s largest wine Great Salinity Debate” at http:// ACF activists were prepared to “die in a Australia, to stop its further development (see text), CSIRO Land and Water Divi- producer, Southcorp, which in July 2000 landholderstripod.com/index.htm. ditch” to stop a dam on the Fitzroy River as a sovereign nation-state. sion head John Williams has proposed announced it was financing ACF activi- 4. For the full text, see http://www.csiro.au/ in the Kimberleys. So, it is no surprise that the ACF, with to solve the problem by simply wiping ties on salinity. Southcorp managing di- html/featureArticle/TitaniumAge.htm Rio Tinto, whose dominant share- its Rio Tinto heritage, has repeatedly en- out most of Australia’s farmers. For rector and CEO Graham Kraehe called

istence of living and de- How To Capitalize A Recovery ceased human beings, that we have a more or less ment, to stimulate the recov- From Page 4 ready access to what has services employment, in skilled, ery and modernisation of been labelled “an intima- the misguided President George W. productive and related employ- presently imperilled sectors tion of immortality.” By Bush, Jr., for example, would be right- ment in capital-intensive modes of the privately operated sec- looking backward, thus, ly considered as recklessness verg- of agricultural and industrial out- tors of the economy. … and then looking forward ing on insanity. … put, or in development and main- We must reverse these to the future where we shall Presently, every economy in tenance of the basic economic in- trends of the recent thirty- be interred, an appropriate- North America and Europe is op- frastructure which should repre- odd years’ shift from a glo- ly efficient prescience of erating at physical-economic lev- sent about half of the typical total bal fixed-exchange-rate human individual immor- els far below breakeven. Our pri- annual output of the economy for system based on capital- tality becomes accessible vate banking systems are gener- generations yet to come. intensive productive invest- Machine tool operator at a GM plant in Ohio. to our knowledge. ally deeply bankrupt. Nothing but It must be emphasised, that the ment, to a floating-ex- Hence, it is such great sci- the generation of appropriately principle of investment in pro- change-rate system of em- tality, in the transmission of the entific discoverers and great Clas- applied long-term public credit, duction and infrastructure, phasis on cheap labor modes avail- contributions to progress from ear- sical artists, who typify the larger could enable us to avert a great should not be as much invest- able in regions of the world which lier to subsequent generations. category of persons who not only and global financial-economic ment in things, as investment in have the relatively most intense This characteristic of societies have an intimation of human indi- catastrophe. Otherwise, the con- the margins of gains in productiv- poverty-rates, and the lowest level committed to progress is the most vidual immortality, but an efficient ditions created since the October ity achieved through science-driv- of development per capita and per typical practical intimation of one, one which is of immediate rel- 1987 U.S. stock-market crash, en approaches to both production square kilometre. immortality of the human person- evance to the knowing individu- through the accelerated escala- and product-design. Essentially, Certain ABCs of successful ality. … tion in various uses of the “John investment should be directed to al’s practice today…. modern economy must be stressed In reality, no one has shown the Law” tradition of sheer gambling introduction and application of It is that specific kind of sense at this point in the report. possibility for a state of affairs debts known as so-called finan- principles, rather than merely the of personal immortality, beyond in which human beings might the reach of death of the animal cial derivatives, when combined production of things…. True Profit – And Immortality become immortal in their incar- body we inhabit, which is the with the effects of increasing The ultimate source of an actu- nate form. Rather, unlike the foundation of all true human mo- trends into globalisation, have For Example: Retooling the ally net profit from investment, is beasts, we can become spiritual- rality. It is that sense of one’s self, created a condition of ripeness for Auto Industry scientific, technological progress, ly immortal, at least condition- of one’s own efficient existence a global chain-reaction collapse The problem to be considered as complemented by progress in ally, as no individual member of in the universe beyond the limits comparable in effects to Europe’s in reorganising that industry to the influence of Classical modes a species of animal could. The of our individual life and death, mid-Fourteenth-Century New avoid this loss of machine-tool- of artistic composition. … difference between man and which is the only foundation of Dark Age. design capability [see pp. 42-43], The advantage of the Classical, beast on this account, is located true morality, the only foundation Thus, we must treat current no- is the fact that de facto national pre-Peloponnesian War Greek in the domain of those qualities of that true sense of citizenship tions of a “balanced Federal policy has created a greatly ex- culture associated with Athens of ideas which are typified by the which we must now awaken in our Budget” as either the work of un- cessive dependency on automo- and the Pythagoreans, was based individual mind’s generation of people, if we are to overcome the balanced minds, or as a calculat- bile manufacturing as such, rela- on conceptions of science and the discovery of a universal terrible threats which recent folly ed measure taken by enemies who tive to urgent other needs in na- artistic composition associated physical principle, or of a work has bestowed upon our own and would wish to induce us to de- tional transportation capability with the ancient Greek use of the of strictly Classical artistic com- other nations today. stroy ourselves by such means. such as the railway system. In the term dynamis, the modern Leib- position which perpetuates the It is only as we grasp our per- It is time to discontinue mone- meantime, the nation has great nizian notion of power, as the existence of the identity of the sonal responsibility for what hap- tarist dogmas such as the cult-be- needs for the manufacture of oth- expression of discoveries of uni- composer as a living force with- pens to mankind in generations to lief in so-called “free trade” and er things, such as mass-transport versal physical principle which in society for centuries, even mil- come after us, that we will have “globalisation.” … systems, power-generation ca- increased mankind’s power, per lennia to follow. Indeed, as the located our higher sense of person- pacity, and repair of inland wa- capita, and per square kilometre efficiency of discovered and em- al identity. Here lies what Gottfried Principles vs. “Things” terways, for many of which the over raw nature. Since both forms ployed universal physical prin- Leibniz defined as “the pursuit of We must propose specific capacity represented by today’s of expression, physical science ciples attests, that aspect of us happiness,” the notion of the gen- choices for actions; but, we must auto industry would provide the and Classical artistic principles, which is immortal, as the unique- eral welfare of present and future also recognise that the problems obvious remedy. Much of these are expressions of the same prin- ly human discovery of universal generations, and the realisation of of this nation will not be fixed by options for new streams of man- ciple applied to a different com- physical principles attests to this, the good contributed by those “things”; what is needed are ufactured output lies within the position of media, it is this prin- is within the Creator’s universe, who came before us, which is the things which express deep-going domain of public infrastructure ciple, most famously associated not in some place outside, or “un- central conception of our 1776 changes in principles of policy- of either the Federal, State, or Lo- in ancient times with the Pythago- derneath.”… Declaration of Independence. shaping. It is those changes in cal government. Contracts issued reans and Plato, which has para- Among rather ordinary, sane Our hope as a people today, lies principles, essentially changes in support of the production of digmatic significance as the con- people, we have the case of the in the commitment to those great from a “post-industrial, services these elements of public infra- ceptual form of the impulse for grandfather who points to some and mighty works, which make economy”-orientation, back to an structure, would be the most effi- human progress. physical work, while saying to not only this nation, not merely infrastructure-based, agro-indus- cient way of using long-term It is this connection among suc- the child, “I was part of the team this planet, but the immediately trial economy, changes which get capital investment generated cessive generations, which unites which built that.” It is in a sense surrounding universe, a better the labor-force out of low-paid chiefly by the Federal govern- those generations, as if in immor- of the continued, historical ex- place for generations yet to come. Page 22 The New Citizen April 2006 The Infrastructure Road to Recovery— Let’s Build Our Way Out of the Depression! Fossil Water: A Voyage of Discovery This page through to page 25 98 percent of the water is lost to Sadly, all of the world’s ground- I embarked on my own voyage of are excerpted from Professor seepage and evaporation. water specialists share the same con- discovery. It soon became evident Lance Endersbee’s explosive new The presentation at the meeting victions as their Queensland col- that the same misconceptions about book (pictured right) on the ex- included some diagrams of the leagues regarding recharge of deep the origin of artesian waters and ther- haustion of the world’s finite re- Basin which had been prepared by groundwater from surface rainfall. mal springs applied to the origin of serves of fossil water. the Queensland Government to All of the textbooks on groundwa- petroleum and natural gas. And fur- show how the artesian basin works, ter hydrology are based on this com- thermore, there was equally strong t is appropriate for me to explain and how, they believed, the under- mon assumption. Similarly, all of the suppression of ideas and learned Ihow I came to write this book. ground waters are recharged from many recent books on the environ- debate about that subject. And then In 1999 I attended a meeting of surface rainfall. The charts includ- ment do not make any distinction I noted that the same errors of un- the Federal Inland Development ed a cross-section of the strata in at all between surface waters and derstanding seemed to apply to the Organisation in Charleville, in the Basin, and a plan showing the groundwater, despite the serious matter of climate change. Western Queensland, in Australia. direction of flow of water through problems of decline of groundwa- This book is a report of my en- I presented a paper on my pro- the strata from the presumed intake ter supplies. quiries, written for the general read- posals for new national infrastruc- areas of exposed sediments on the In reviewing many recent and his- er and the professions involved, and ture for Australia, and related pros- eastern edge of the Basin. torical books and papers on ground- also to help young scientists and pects for national development. A I could see that this official ex- water, I concluded that there had engineers appreciate the exciting Professor Lance Endersbee’s fascinating paper which followed mine was planation of the operation of the been more than a century of error. history of ideas in science. It has book is available from the Monash Univer- Basin showed conditions which But this led to some serious and pro- been written as a scientific detec- sity Bookshop. Tel. 03 9905 3111 or about the Great Artesian Basin of http://www.bookshop.monash.edu.au Australia. This Basin is the largest were, in fact, physically impossible. found questions. How was it possi- tive story, where each clue is part of artesian basin in the world. But what I found most disturbing ble for so many professional geolo- the mystery. All the clues combine We were told that when the arte- was the fact that the professionals gists and engineers around the to reveal a new picture of our won- sian waters were discovered in the involved believed it all. It was an world to remain in error for so long, derful world. conform can be overwhelming to 1880’s, water gushed from the ear- act of faith on their part, and they and in circumstances where much During my voyage I discovered the dissident, while remaining ly bores as great fountains, often defended their position by reference of the evidence over the years had some outstanding scholars of the quite unnoticed by all those in the rising to 30 metres or more above to world practice and world author- contradicted their assumptions? past. Their scientific curiosity was mainstream of science and profes- the ground. In a few years, many ity. Furthermore, why was it that there inspirational. I came to admire the sional practice. water bores were drilled through- I subsequently found that the had been no debate whatever on the breadth and intellectual rigor of I believe the scholars I discuss out the Basin, some to depths same pattern of decline of ground- subject? A major factor must have their work. But on certain critical in this book were intellectual gi- greater than 1000 metres. water yields was occurring in many been the separation and increasing issues they did not inspire their ants. They followed their scientif- The total yield of all waters from countries around the world. All of specialisation of the disciplines, own colleagues, because their the- ic enquiries wherever they led, and the basin reached a maximum in the world’s wells are running dry. which limits exposure and debate. ories were ahead of their time. resisted intellectual intimidation. 1917. The total yield has declined Well over one half of the peoples of But a significant cause was simply Some of their most important ide- Incredibly, they are still showing ever since. Many bores have run the world depend on groundwater the enormous power of the fashion- as were criticized, even ridiculed, the way. dry, and many more new bores have for part or all of their water supply, able view, and most disturbingly, the and subsequently ignored. I think I leave it to my readers to make been drilled. Most bores today are in India, China, Bangladesh, Paki- power of the leaders of the scientif- these ideas are still valid, and I their own assessment. running free into open drains to stan, the Middle East, North Africa, ic fashion to suppress debate. It is describe them in the book. —Lance Endersbee provide water for cattle. Well over Europe, America and Mexico. called peer review. In all science, the pressures to The world’s water wells are drying up round the world, groundwater book, written in the first century like India and China, in North Afri- about 1000 cubic kilometres each to the limits of the resource. Afrom deep wells is the main BC, the methods the Romans used ca and the Middle East, the use of year, but it is quite unsustainable. The consequences are now evi- source of drinking water for over to find and test underground sourc- shallow hand-dug wells, and hand This great global rush to exploit dent in many countries. In essence, three billion people. In addition, a es of water. He tells of the adverse lifting of water, was replaced by available groundwater resources in the world has been exploiting the large proportion of the food sup- properties of some spring waters. drilled bores and mechanical our time is a one-off extraction of reserve bank of groundwater at a ply in many poor countries is based There are cautionary tales about a pumps. The use of fertilisers ena- a limited natural resource. rate far greater than the rate of nat- on irrigation from wells. However, al- little well at Susa, the capital of bled a very great increase in yield, but Groundwater has been, and in ural replacement, and the water most all of the world’s wells have fall- Persia, where those who drink of that required much more water. There many areas still continues to be, bank is becoming insolvent. This ing water levels, and declining yield, the water lose their teeth, and a was a vast increase in the areas under the best and only readily availa- excess use of water is a deficit that and already, many have run dry. well in the Alps where those who irrigation from groundwater. ble source of clean drinking water. can never be repaid in our time. These deep water wells cannot drink the water immediately fall There was a rush to exploit the This is because the groundwater The deficit in the groundwater be replenished from rainfall. In the lifeless. There are also wells with limited groundwater resources. may be just directly below the bank is also being matched by a book it is shown that the source of healing properties, such as the acid The groundwater was freely place of use, for agriculture, cities, deficit in the food it provided. Thus the groundwater that supports springs in Campania that have the available at the cost of a bore and factories and mines. In most cases the present prosperity in much of these three billion people lies in power to break up stones in the a pump. There was competition to the groundwater is available at no the world is based on borrowing the interior of the earth. There is a bladder. Vitruvius advises on the use more and more ground water. cost, except for the cost of the well, from the bank of water, which is continuing release of water from tests for good water: the first test is Water tables dropped, and farmers and the pump. also, in essence, the borrowing of the interior towards the surface of to look at the physique of the peo- drilled deeper bores, and installed The groundwater in these under- food from the food bank, neither the earth, and we see that in the ple who dwell in the vicinity! more powerful pumps. Almost si- ground reservoirs has accumulat- of which can be repaid. As a conse- steam of volcanoes, and the water Today, in the United States, multaneously, all around the world, ed in geological time. The resource quence there has been an artificial gushing from deep ocean vents. groundwater provides drinking the wells began to run dry, and can be considered as a great reser- stimulus of food production in Over geological time, some of the water for over one half of the pop- governments were quite unable to voir of water that has been captured many countries where groundwa- rising water was trapped in the path ulation. The same applies in much control the extraction of ground- in open joints and fissures in the ter enabled food production to be towards the surface of the earth, and of Europe, India, China, and many water, or protect the resources. rock, and in pores in porous rocks. raised well above sustainable lev- accumulated as underground res- other countries. Most governments did not know In the natural state, prior to inter- els. ervoirs of water. The pattern of dependence on where the wells were, or the depth vention to exploit the resource, the The UN Food and Agriculture There are resources of ground- groundwater that had continued of the wells. Governments did not underground reservoir was filled Organisation even suggested that water underlying most of the flat for centuries began to change from record water levels, but were cer- to the brim, and overflowed natu- the rapid exploitation of ground- lands of the world. From early about 1950. The population of the tainly informed when farmers com- rally at springs, and into lakes and water has saved the world from a times, men dug wells by hand, and world was continuing to increase, plained when their wells ran dry. streams. food crisis. But if countries have lifted water in buckets for their there was growth of cities and ex- Farmers, governments, and their Prior to 1950, most of the world’s been borrowing water on credit, needs. Many civilisations were es- pansion of city water supplies professional advisors, had all be- groundwater basins were in a con- and effectively, borrowing food on tablished where groundwater was based on the use of groundwater, lieved that the wells would flow dition close to a state where the credit, it means that the world is available at oases or in shallow and in rural areas there was the in- forever. rate of use of the groundwater was facing the prospect of an even more wells. The ancient Romans built troduction of mechanical pumps and The groundwater rush was like a compatible with the sustainabili- serious food crisis. This prospect aqueducts to bring springs of commercial agriculture based on gold rush; it was a great uncon- ty of the resource. After over half a is already highly evident in some groundwater to their many cities groundwater. As a consequence trolled bonanza. The Internation- century of massive exploitation, far countries as they try to rapidly ex- around the shores of the Mediter- there was a simultaneous and rapid al Water Management Institute has greater than any possible rate of pand food production from re- ranean. Vitruvius, a Roman engi- growth in the use of groundwater estimated that the total global recovery, most of the groundwater sources of surface waters, especial- neer and architect, describes in his all around the world. In countries withdrawal of groundwater is now basins of the world are now close ly in China, and India. China’s water crisis hina is heavily dependent on deeper wells being drilled. The ply in 1860. The old city of Shang- of new skyscrapers. Settlement of ing without tilting. Cgroundwater. Most of the flat consequent increase in pumping hai sank almost 2 metres in the the new urban area is being record- The urgency of the need to con- areas of China overlay groundwa- costs has forced some farmers off period 1921-65. Subsidence is ed at about 3 cm a year. The foun- trol the use of groundwater, and to ter basins, and the groundwater is their land, while the demand for continuing, and the authorities are dation of the tallest building, at provide other sources of water and being extracted for water supply groundwater for cities and indus- now trying to correct it by inject- 420 metres high, sank by 6.3 cen- food, has been recognised by the for cities, industries and agricul- tries has continued to grow. In Be- ing water into the aquifers. timetres in 2002. Most of that set- Chinese Government. They are ture. The northern agricultural ar- ijing, the new wells for the city Such ground subsidence in tlement is probably due to the great planning to build several new wa- eas of China are virtually drying water supply now have to reach densely populated cities has weight of the building, but extrac- ter projects, including two very out: the major rivers have ceased 1000m to tap fresh water. caused great economic losses, as tion of groundwater would have large projects, one in China, and to flow in the dry season. The wa- The pumping of groundwater in well as presenting a hazard to build- contributed. It may be unfair of me one in South East Asia to provide ter table under the North China the North China Plain has resulted ings and people. It is reported that to mention that during construc- a food bowl for China. Plain, which produces half of Chi- in the entire area subsiding, with Shanghai has suffered economic tion of a tower in Pisa in Italy, from In November, 2002, the Chinese na’s wheat, and a third of the corn, many funnels and sinks appearing losses estimated at US$35 billion the year 1173, it began to tilt in Government authorised the con- is falling at an alarming rate. Un- on the ground surface. Cities are in the past 40 years due to destruc- 1178, due to extraction of ground- struction of a hugely ambitious der Hebei Province, in the heart of reporting substantial subsidence, tive flooding and tidal effects due water nearby. Construction contin- water diversion plan to take wa- the North China Plain, the water complicated by the consolidation to subsidence, probably mostly ued intermittently in the tilted po- ters from the Yangtze River system level in the deep aquifer is falling of the ground under the new high- caused by groundwater extraction. sition until 1350. It became famous to the Yellow River. at a rate of 3m. each year. rise buildings. In the Pudong New Area of as the Leaning Tower of Pisa. I am The aim of the project is to di- The decline of the water table Shanghai started pumping Shanghai there are a large number pleased to note that the buildings vert water from the south of the has led to wells drying up, and to groundwater for the city water sup- in Shanghai appear to be subsid- country, where the rivers flow from The New Citizen April 2006 Page 23 The Infrastructure Road to Recovery Fossil Water the Tibetan plateau, to the areas of water shortage in the North China Plain, and to Beijing and other industrial cities in the north. There are three separate diversion systems. Construction of the first diversion system began in 2002, and is estimated to cost US$19 billion, and will divert 13.4 billion cubic meters per year to north China. There are two more similar diversions in the total project. The population of China is about 1.3 billion, and still growing at about 0.8% each year. That means an increasing demand for food. Even with the proposed water projects in China, there will still be a need to import food. One prospective source of food The decline of water table level at the Luancheng Agro-Ecological Research Station, Hebei Province, in the North China Plain. As the water table falls, springs have dried up, and for export to China is the Mekong streams have ceased to flow. Lakes have disappeared. Hebei Province once had 1052 Basin in South East Asia. The Ba- Topography of China, India, and South East Asia, showing the extensive mountainous lakes, now only 83 remain. Note that the level of the water table in 2002 was less than 20 regions, and the limited flat plains for agriculture. On The North China Plain there are very sin begins where the Mekong Riv- metres above mean sea level. Sea water is now intruding into the lower aquifers. er leaves the mountains at the Thai- large cities, industries, and intensive agriculture, all largely dependent on groundwater. It is a major source of food for China. The groundwater extraction exceeds 40 billion cubic land-Myanmar border, and com- national co-operation. metres per year, and the water table is falling rapidly. China has now proposed to fund and prises the flood plain of the Me- Some excellent and exten- build water diversion and irrigation projects in other countries as a new source of food for kong River in parts of Thailand, sive investigatory studies China and the world, for example the Mekong Basin. In India, the wells are also running out Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. had been made on many of water, and India is also interested to encourage irrigation development in the Mekong In 1956, a Mekong Committee, aspects of the project by Basin as a world source of food. (Topographic map from Earth Observatory, of National comprising representatives of the experts from friendly na- Aeronautics and Space Administration) four riparian countries, was estab- tions, all under the umbrel- lished with a secretariat provided la of the United Nations— in that country for the foreseeable course the World Bank and the by the U.N. Economic Commission for example: U.S.A, Japan, for Asia and the Far East (ECAFE), future. The effect was to stop all Asian Development Bank would Israel, Australia, France work on the key parts of the project, also welcome the Chinese propos- in Bangkok. They studied concep- and other countries were tual plans that had been developed —for forty years. al, as it frees bank funds for other active in programmes of Recently, the Chinese Govern- purposes. by the riparian countries with sig- assistance in planning and nificant input from expert engi- ment announced an interest in fund- Far upstream on the Mekong evaluation. In addition, ing and building the entire project, River, in China, near Tibet, the neers from U.S. Government agen- there were offers of support cies (Corps of Engineers, Bureau and sought the cooperation of the Chinese government is now con- from many countries for riparian countries. The Chinese structing a 290m. high concrete of Reclamation, and Tennessee participation in the con- Valley Authority). were quite clear that they wanted arch dam project, which includes struction of the project. to create a new food bowl for the a large hydro- electric power plant. The conceptual plan was a vast Overall, it was a wonder- scheme involving a cascade of sev- world, and especially for China. It will be the highest dam in the ful example of interna- The Chinese Government indi- world. The project is likely to be en dams on the Mekong River, as- tional co-operation in ac- sociated hydro power, river navi- View of Pudong New Area of Shanghai from across cated that there would be no need followed by a cascade of hydro- tion. For my part, I was de- the river. The load of the new buildings on the satu- for funding from international power dams down the river towards gation for 1,000 km. inland from lighted to share in the rated sediments, together with groundwater pumping, the sea, the diversion of waters for sources such as the World Bank, or the Mekong Basin. work with my Thai col- is leading to subsidence of the area by about 3 cm. the Asian Development Bank. The These two great projects to be extensive irrigation development leagues, and to collaborate each year. It has been reported that 46 cities in China throughout the Basin, the construc- are sinking, due to settlement under load and exces- Chinese were prepared to fund the funded by the Chinese Govern- with experts from so many project and to undertake the design ment, the south-north river diver- tion of many dams on tributary riv- countries. sive pumping of groundwater. ers, and water supply to cities and and supervision of construction of sions in China, and the Mekong At the beginning of eration. The World Bank was quite all the major dams and hydro pow- Project, illustrate the urgent con- towns, and flood control. 1965 it all seemed to stop. The war firm in refusing to fund any part of In 1964 I became interested and er plants. The total cost of all those cern about future food supplies for in Vietnam halted any prospect of the project while hostilities con- parts of the Mekong Project in the China, and the magnitude of the involved in the Mekong Project the project continuing, even on tinued. when I went to Thailand as a U.N. four riparian countries will proba- extra-ordinary problems that have site investigations on the main river Later, the terrible civil hostili- bly be much more than one hun- been created by the exploitation adviser on dam design and hydro- damsites. Shots were sometimes ties in Cambodia, especially the power. At the time there was great dred billion dollars. The offer of of the Chinese groundwater re- fired at the operators of drill rigs in genocide, and the laying of a vast such large funds is a strong incen- sources towards extinction. enthusiasm to get on with the Me- the middle of the river, lessening number of land mines, did not en- kong project, and wonderful inter- tive to the riparian countries to ac- enthusiasm for international coop- courage any construction activity cept the Chinese proposals. Of United States of America—Groundwater and market forces he United States of America is a disastrous emptying of the na- together with a lowering of the a federation of states, and it is irrigation. Groundwater levels T tion’s groundwater basins. In cas- groundwater level by about 120 the state governments which retain have dropped substantially, in es of dispute, the right of unlimit- m. In the desert state of Arizona, residual responsibilities for such some areas by over 200 feet. There ed private use of groundwater is there have been water level de- matters as land and water. All states are many similar examples in oth- defended by the law! clines of between 100 and 200 m. maintain their own legislation on er states. Groundwater is the source of over much of the area, and associ- water. Virtually all of the drinking wa- drinking water for about one-half ated subsidence of the ground of In the case of groundwater, the ter in Florida is supplied from of the population of the USA, in- 5m and more. Unequal subsidence property owner has an absolute groundwater. The Florida aquifer cluding nearly all of the rural pop- and deep land fissures are a seri- right of capture of the groundwa- system extends across the entire ulation. The pumps deliver in to- ous problem. ter under his property. This means state of Florida, southern Georgia, tal about 50 billion US gallons per (The following internet refer- the land owner may pump as much and adjoining parts of Alabama and day, or about 70 cubic kilometres ence is informative, http:// water as he wishes, without incur- South Carolina. A major concern is per year. The problem is made cals.arizona.edu/AZWATER/ar- ring any responsibility if his ac- the increasing contamination of the worse by a continued quaint view royo/062land.html). tions are found to be detrimental aquifer system as the water levels in the groundwater profession that In 1952 I became familiar with to his neighbours or the communi- decline. There is intrusion of sea the aquifers are being recharged problems being caused by land ty as a whole. water into the aquifers along the from surface rainfall. They use du- subsidence in the San Under state environmental laws, bious mathematical models of Joachim valley in Califor- a state may establish controls to groundwater flow to show farmers nia. I was with the Bureau maintain groundwater quality, and and cities where to drill more and of Reclamation in Denver, that may influence well spacing, deeper wells, but inevitably the new and the engineers in the and disposal of waste into the wells cause the water table to drop, Bureau were designing a groundwater. while the wells decline in flow. canal system for the area to But overall, throughout the The reality is that the U.S. is distribute surface water for United States, the state legislatures coming to the end of the cowboy irrigation. They had a treat groundwater as a basic prop- era of groundwater exploitation, problem with land subsid- erty right, and there is no control and it is to be expected that the ence that was being caused over groundwater withdrawal. Be- flow in all basins will gradually by extraction of ground- cause of problems of depletion of decline towards extinction. The water. The land was subsid- groundwater in some basins, many evidence is clear. ing at the rate of about one states have established local dis- There are reduced flows of water metre in three years, pre- trict conservancy boards, which are to springs, lakes and streams. In the senting major difficulties self-governing bodies of users of natural state, the small residual in the design of irrigation groundwater. The boards are flow of groundwater came to the canals which follow very charged with responsibility to deal surface as springs, and as flow to flat grades. The subsidence with all property owners in the streams, lakes and wetlands. With continued for decades af- management of the water resourc- the lowering of groundwater lev- ter. [See photos (rt).] Subsidence of the land in the San Joachim es. It is hoped that the problems valley in California due to the extraction of els, the associated springs and In Kansas, groundwater will be solved by mutual agree- groundwater. The markings on the pole show streams cease to flow. accounts for 90 per cent of ment. Nevertheless, in any dispute, Subsidence related earth fissure due to groundwater the level of the land in 1925, 1955. and There is serious subsidence of the total water supply. It is the legislatures and the courts con- extraction in Arizona. Fissures are causing very seri- 1977. Such subsidence arises from closure land in many parts of the US due the principal source for ous damage in several irrigation areas in the state. The tinue to treat groundwater as a ba- of fracture openings and pore spaces in the to pumping of groundwater. In the 600 public water supply Arizona Geological Survey maintains a Centre for Land rock, and is essentially irreversible. (Source: sic property right. area of Houston in Texas, ground- systems, and most rural- Subsidence and Earth Fissure Information. Informa- Govt. California) Even with the conservancy water pumping has led to subsid- domestic supply. Most of tion papers are available on the internet. (Source: Govt boards, the consequence has been ence at the surface of about 3 m, the groundwater is used for Arizona) Page 24 The New Citizen April 2006 The Infrastructure Road to Recovery Fossil Water east coast, and on the south coast eas. ter resources in China and India along the Gulf of Mexico. Throughout the United States, has led to the governments of In Texas and Arizona there are the common law right of capture those countries moving to con- proposals to privatise the ground- of groundwater is firmly en- struct huge projects for the trans- water aquifers. This would absolve trenched in the minds of the peo- fer of water to their cities and farms. governments from the responsibil- ple, and in legislation. Landown- Similar actions may be needed in ities for management of ground- ers protect their claim to capture the United States. water, and leave the matter to the by pumping the water. Conse- private sector and the people to quently, there has been a race to sort out. This seems a dangerous the pumphouse. The race is now proposal in a country where citi- ending. zens may own guns. From now on, water supply will Map of Africa and Asia composed from sat- become a far more important issue ellite photographs of the earth in true colour. Subsidence of lands due to Note the vast extent of the dry regions, groundwater extraction is a seri- for farms, cities, and states. Water extending from the northwest coast of Af- ous problem in several states of supply for cities will become more rica to north China. At present, groundwater the US. Differential settlement, expensive, and there will be pres- is the only source of water for survival in sometimes with cracking of the sures for transfer of water across most of these dry regions, and over much ground surface, and sinkholes, can state boundaries. of India, and in north China, and the wells cause serious damage in built-up ar- The rapid decline of groundwa- are running dry. The discovery and exploitation of the Great Artesian Basin Great waterspouts from bores, and water for stock in the desert

n seasons of good rainfall there late 1800’s, only to collapse in the Iis plenty of grass in eastern Aus- drought at the turn of the century. tralia. These wide waving fields of In NSW, stock numbers peaked at grass attracted the early settlers 19 million in the 1890’s and into inland Australia, and by the crashed to 3.5 million in the mid-1800’s grazing leases were drought of 1901-2. Land degrada- established over most of eastern tion was extensive. Australia. The early settlers in the The discovery of artesian water, more remote areas of western and the prospect of a permanent Queensland and western New water supply to offset the impact South Wales took up very large of drought, led to a dramatic in- holdings of land. One enormous crease in well drilling, and a great land holding, “Wellshot”, was near- waste of water as the wells were ly half a million hectares in extent, allowed to flow freely and spill on and ran up to 400,000 sheep. There the ground. was no fencing, and the sheep were The desperate search for water run in mobs of up to 2000 by a at a time of drought is described in shepherd. However, such huge a poem by A. B. Paterson, pub- stock numbers could not be sus- lished in The Bulletin, 12 Decem- tained in long periods of drought. ber, 1896. The poem is of particu- Pastoral activities were focused lar scientific interest in its descrip- on the perennial and occasional tion of the bore continuing to a rivers. During good seasons the depth of 4,000 feet through strata animals would walk away from the without any sign of water, to when rivers and graze on the plains, but the drill is, as the rains stopped the animals An early drilling rig driven by steam power. moved to the river frontages. “bumping on the solid rock four thousand feet below”: The sheep and the cattle graz- The Great Artesian Basin covers approximately one fifth of Australia, and underlies parts of ing on the plains quickly found 1899, 524 bores had been sunk, And then the bore suddenly the states of Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia, and the Northern Territory. the mound springs, eating the lush and 505 were productive. Many of strikes huge quantities of water, Water resources are a state responsibility, and each state is responsible for its part of the grasses and reeds around the the bores reached 1300 m. in “And it’s rushing up the tubing Basin. springs, and creating a boggy depth. from four thousand feet below, Till mess. The aborigines were The drilling of bores to depths it spouts above the casing in a mil- being partly rotated with each rected into long shallow gutters to alarmed. The settlers were also of 1300 m., and more, represented lion-gallon flow.” blow. A steam engine was used to provide places for stock watering. alarmed when the aborigines a most substantial investment by lift the entire length of drilling rods The discovery of artesian water killed some of the stock, and some- the pastoralists. The deepest bore, A flow of a million gallons a day and drilling cable and then drop it also aided the development of lo- times the shepherd. The terrible in South Australia, was over 2,200 can be visualized as 10 imperial again. The great weight rammed cal industries. At Blackall, a wool- consequences were some dreadful m. deep. The depth and large gallons per second, or 45 litres per the chisel bit into the rock, and scouring plant employed 50 men, massacres that still concern many number of bores reflects the wealth second. Today, after over 100 years gravity kept the hole straight. The in shearing, washing, sorting, bal- Australians. of the pastoral industry in Austral- of exploitation of this under- rock was pulverized into slurry, and ing and carting wool. Two 12 hour The early pastoralists needed ia at that time. Most of the wool ground water resource, such a flow the slurry was withdrawn by a bail- shifts were worked around the labour to care for the stock. But was sent to England, and the very is still available at some bores. er with a flap valve on the end. The clock. The hot bore water was the gold rush had caused a short- high value of the fleece to the tex- At the time, a very strong flow entire length of drill rods and ca- found to be perfect for wool-scour- age of labour, and some pastoral- tile industry in England covered of water was available from many ble had to be removed from the ing, and at the peak of operations ists persuaded the government to the costs of the deep bores for reli- artesian bores. Sometimes the jet hole for baling, and re-inserted to some 3 million litres of bore water arrange to bring in Chinese labour. able water supply, the shearing and of water from an open bore would resume drilling. If casing was re- were used in the plant each day, of Not surprisingly, many of the Chi- baling, the land haulage of hun- spout over 100 m. into the air. One quired it was hammered into place which 1 million litres was required nese also caught gold fever. dreds of kilometres, and shipment small town in western Queensland until refusal, and then the size of for the scour. The Chinese brought an ap- halfway around the world. One used the pressure of water in a bore the hole would be reduced to ex- The artesian bore water was very proach to water management that pound weight of fine wool fetched to generate hydro-electricity. It was tend the casing further. The maxi- precious in times of severe drought. was new to the Europeans. They one pound sterling. Australia’s first hydro-electric pow- mum depth of hole drilled by this Periods of drought were desperate introduced small overshot weirs But the pastoral industry faced er station. It had a Pelton wheel method was over 2,200 m., a most times. Any proposals to limit the across water courses to improve great risks, and the prospects of turbine made by the local black- remarkable technical achievement free flow of artesian bores met water storage. They also dug wells profits in good times led to stock- smith. at the time. strong resistance from land own- by hand, some apparently to a ing rates far higher than could pos- The boreholes were drilled by From the beginning of the dis- ers, with the emphatic assertion depth of 100m. It may be noted sibly be sustained in times of the percussion method. A weight- covery of artesian water, most bores that the bore waters were being re- that the hand excavation of a well drought. Extraordinarily large ed chisel bit was used to impact were allowed to flow freely onto plenished from surface rainfall. of such a depth, without artificial stock numbers were built up in the the rock repeatedly, with the bit the ground and the water was di- That view has continued to the ventilation, could be a quite dangerous undertaking. On one property 28 wells were dug by hand. There was a continued need for more water for stock. The grasses of the western plains were mostly drought resistant, but the stock needed water, and the mound springs were few. The evidence of the mound springs, and the hand dug wells, indicated that water could be found by drilling. In 1878, a shallow bore at Bourke in NSW yield- ed flowing water at the surface. Many shallow bores were drilled near the margins of what we now know as the Great Artesian Basin. In 1886, a pastoralist company John Seccombe, Chairman of the former Great Artesian Basin Consultative Council, dem- in Queensland contracted a Cana- onstrating the volume of flow that is available at one bore at his grazing property near dian well-borer to bore for water Freely discharging bore in South Australia near Lake Eyre, discharging as steam. The steam Longreach in Queensland. In this case the bore supplies hundreds of kilometres of distribu- on their drought-stricken proper- is mineralized and sulphurous. The question to be considered is the source of the steam at tion pipes. It is popularly accepted that the source of such flows is water seeping through ty. Water was struck at 330 m., and the base of the borehole. Is it, as is popularly believed, to be water percolating through porous sandstone at the base of the cased boreholes. That is evidently physically impossi- deepening to 660 m. increased the porous sandstones, sourced from rainfall on exposed sediments in Queensland some 1400 ble. The author believes that the source must be high pressure steam in the jointed granite flow substantially. Other bores fol- km away, or is it from steam gushing through open joints in the granite below the sediments, below the sediments, and that the steam flowing to the base of the bores has eroded the lowed. Thirteen years later, in and originating in the deep plutonic processes of the earth? (Photo: Clive Minton) sediments to form a deep steam cavity down to the jointed granite which now supplies the borehole. (Newspix/David Sproule) The New Citizen April 2006 Page 25 The Infrastructure Road to Recovery Fossil Water

History of total discharge from all flowing bores in the Great Artesian Basin. The total flow reached a maximum in 1917, and has been declining ever since. present day. most individual bores has gradu- By 1890 there was serious con- ally diminished. When ground cern about the gradual decline in water pressure becomes insuffi- the flow from the bores. In 1891, cient to bring water to the surface legislation to control the waste of pumps may be installed. Often the water was twice proposed in the dry bores are abandoned. Each Queensland Parliament, each time year a number of new bores are Map showing non-flowing bores of the Great Artesian Basin, Map showing the flowing bores of the Great Artesian Basin. Most being carried through the lower drilled. Thus the total number of that is, bores that have been drilled in the past and no longer of these flowing bores discharge into open earth drains, with house of state government, and bores is still increasing, while the flow. (Source: Australian Government) great loss of water due to evaporation and seepage. (Source: each time being rejected by the total flow continues to decline. Australian Government) upper house. The grounds for re- The official concept of the oper- jection were that the water was be- ation of the Great Artesian Basin, ing recharged from surface rainfall, which led to the rejection of legis- somewhere, and that there was no lation to control waste of water cause for concern. There was spec- over 100 years ago, and which is ulation that the source of the water still the official position today, is was in rainfall in New Guinea, or shown in the accompanying illus- even further away such as the An- trations. des or the Himalaya. In the state of When the artesian waters were New South Wales a similar Bill was first discovered, the gushing water proposed in 1894, and similarly brought with it large quantities of failed to pass. natural gas, which was wasted and The early settlement of Austral- regarded as a nuisance. At one ia was concentrated at a few ports stage, about 1910, the Chief Geol- accessible by sailing vessels. Sep- ogist in Queensland noted that arate colonies formed around these there was no consideration of the ports, but because of the remote- possibility that the artesian water ness from London, the colonies and the natural gas may have come quickly became politically and from the same source, and noted economically independent. But that nobody was looking for a sur- even though they managed their face intake for natural gas. He was own economies, and had their own disregarded as a cynic. The belief tiny defense forces to protect in rainfall recharge of the artesian against other maritime colonizers, waters held firm. Concept of the operation of the Great Artesian Basin as shown on the web pages of the Queensland Government. Note that the they recognized their collective assumed source of water is rainfall on the exposed sediments at the edge of the basin, and that the water is assumed to percolate As I write this it is still assumed through the sediments for long distances, rising to the surface through the artesian bores. It is important to note the distorted scale vulnerability. This led to the gov- that rainfall on exposed strata at in this diagram. The lateral distance overall is about 1500 km, and the maximum depth of the sediments is about 3 km, a ratio of ernments of the Australian States, the edge of the sedimentary basin 500 to 1. If this chart was redrawn to a natural scale, it would be almost a single line across the page. and the people by referendum, enters the strata and percolates agreeing to create the Common- through porous strata for hundreds wealth of Australia, as a Federation of kilometers, emerging from flow- of the States. ing bores under high pressure. In the new Constitution, in 1900, In the year 2000 the Queensland the Commonwealth Government Government passed administrative was granted only limited powers, orders to proclaim the intake areas primarily dealing with external af- where the rainwater is expected to fairs and defense. Thus the states enter the sedimentary strata. The retained most of their internal re- orders also limit the use of surface sponsibilities, including those for waters by the farmers. water resources, and land. The con- Plan of the Great Artesian Basin show- Also in 2000, the Australian ing recharge areas and direction of flow stitution for Australia was based in Government published a substan- through the sediments. This plan is also part on the earlier US constitution, tial report, Hydrochemistry and taken from the web pages of the Queens- where state governments also re- implied hydro-dynamics of the land Government. This illustration of retained most of their internal re- Cadna-owie-Hooray Aquifer, charge areas and flow directions is sup- sponsibilities. As a consequence, Great Artesian Basin. It is a most position. There is no evidence whatever there are now very serious nation- comprehensive study and it is of to support the concept of recharge from al problems in both the USA and interest to note that the title of the surface rainfall, or of the flow along sedi- Australia in the matter of develop- report refers to implied hydrody- mentary strata for distances of several ment and protection of national hundred kilometers. Similar misconcep- namics. The cautionary implied tions are found in the reports on most water resources, including ground- quickly became proof. groundwater basins in the world, even water, with continuing disputes be- At the beginning of the report though the wells are running dry. tween national and state govern- there is an Authors’ Note. I have ments, and between state govern- selected the following extract, ments. which I think illustrates the intel- From the time of the earliest lectual dilemma of the authors: bores into the Great Artesian Ba- “Our findings confirm the origin the groundwater of 800,000 to 2 water. Unfortunately, it is normal for sin in the 1880’s, the number of of the groundwater from recharged million years, without question. (c) the decay times of the two groundwater hydrologists to be bores steadily increased. Many rainfall and that the groundwater A key feature of the report is the marker isotopes are known, and quite unaware of the assumptions were taken down to great depth, to evolves hydrochemically as it use of radioactive isotope ratios to thus the change in these ratios over involved. From their perspective, bedrock or near bedrock. By 1915, slowly migrates into and across the indicate age of the groundwater. time provides an estimate of age a date determined by nuclear phys- over 1500 flowing bores had been Basin. Groundwater in the latter The assessment of age of ground- since the groundwater was origi- ics must be right, and they thereby drilled throughout the Basin. stages of its migration towards dis- water is based on the knowledge nally rainwater. manage to prove that all ground- Thousands of kilometres of bore charge margins is in excess of 800 of these isotope ratios in rainfall (d) the age of the groundwater is water is derived from surface rain- drains were excavated to distrib- thousand years old and possibly and surface waters, and the change estimated from the difference of fall. ute water around properties. Bore as old as 2 million years. In some of these ratios, over time, when the the isotope ratios of the ground- As is shown in the first chapter, drains are small open channels that of the deeper regions of the com- water is no longer exposed to the water and rainwater. In the case of this lack of understanding of the may extend for lengths of 100km ponent hydrogeological basins, atmosphere. It is a technique that the Great Artesian Basin, the esti- sources of water, over a long time, or more. The bore drains are the flow is so slow that the groundwa- is used worldwide. mate of age may be up to 2 million has created serious problems for cause of very high losses by evap- ter appears relatively stagnant.” The logical steps in this method years. the world. The answer is to try to oration and soakage in these hot In these terms the national gov- of assessment of age of groundwa- Note the circular argument. The understand how water is released dry parts of Australia. ernment thereby endorsed the ter are as follows: procedure is directed towards prov- from the interior of the earth. That The total discharge of all bores views of the Queensland govern- (a) the isotope ratios in rainwa- ing the assumption that the is examined later the book. reached a maximum around 1915, ment on recharge of the ground- ter are known. groundwater was originally rain- estimated to be about 750,000 water from surface rainfall. Note (b) It is assumed that the ground- fall, but that fact is not recognized. megalitres per year. that the authors confirmed the of- water was originally derived from The procedure specifically ex- Since the beginning of bore ficial concept of recharge from rain- rainfall; and that the groundwater cludes the possibility that the drilling in the 1880’s the flow from fall, whilst also reporting ages of once had the isotope ratios of rain- groundwater was never rainfall. Page 26 The New Citizen April 2006 The Infrastructure Road to Recovery— Let’s Build Our Way Out of the Depression! Australia Must Go Nuclear! by Robert Barwick and Jonathan Tennenbaum went many of the other grand plans oving the bill to authorise the our to ensure that Australia does Australia to achieve the goal of 50 fact, we begin to grasp the vastly for Australia Post War Reconstruc- construction of the Snowy not lag in the race to develop atom- million people, our energy and higher economic potential of nu- M tion (resurrected in this publica- Mountains Scheme in 1949, the ic power…. Today we are living in water requirements would be most clear energy, compared to fossil tion), as well as the cultural opti- federal Chifley Labor Govern- the atomic age. It would allow great efficiently met through the wide- fuel technology. mism that allowed our war-time ment’s Minister for Works and inland cities … and decentralised spread application of modern, This amazing potential was part Housing, Nelson Lemmon, de- industries to be built.” clean and safe nuclear power. One of the Chifley Government’s vi- nation builders to expect a future in which Australia would enjoy a clared to the Parliament: “Now … Today, it is vital for Australia’s kilogram of nuclear fuel in an atom- sion. The way that vision was vir- prosperous population of nearly 50 the Australian Government desires future that Chifley’s and Lemmon’s ic reactor generates about as much tually snuffed out within 30 years million people by the end of the to proceed with the great Snowy vision for an Australian nuclear energy as the combustion of more of Lemmon’s declaration is a trag- 20th century. Mountains Scheme, in an endeav- power industry be revived. For than 50 tons of petroleum! In that edy of Australian history. With it Australia’s Nuclear History rom the mid-1950s until the cation is the future of nuclear pow- have been a tremendous bargain if Fmid-1970s, Australia boasted a er generation (see pp. 33 and 34). it had gone ahead…. I believe that world class nuclear research capa- In 1971, Australia’s nuclear pow- the station would have produced bility, coordinated by the Austral- er program was ended when the the cheapest electricity in Austral- ian Atomic Energy Commission pro-nuclear Prime Minister John ia during its operating lifetime.” (AAEC) based at Lucas Heights in Gorton was replaced by William Suspiciously, when the 1971 Cab- Sydney, the site of our only nucle- McMahon, who stopped the con- inet documents were released on ar reactor. Australia’s world-class struction of Australia’s first com- January 1, 2002 under the 30-year scientists who participated in the mercial nuclear power plant at secrecy rule, documents relating to AAEC research program in those Jervis Bay on the NSW south coast. the Jervis Bay saga were held back days insist that, contrary to the anti- The Jervis Bay nuclear reactor was as still being “too sensitive” to re- nuclear propaganda they have a significant project, both nation- lease, even after 30 years. been subjected to, the focus of ally and internationally: it would Another major wasted opportu- Australia’s research was the peace- have been the first realisation of a nity arose from the AAEC’s signif- ful application of nuclear power. longstanding dream of nuclear icant research into uranium enrich- The history of the AAEC has been power generation in Australia that, ment, particularly the centrifuge very concisely recorded by its for instance, had inspired the Nu- enrichment process, which is nec- long-time director Keith Alder in a clear Research Foundation at the essary to enrich the raw, “yellow 1996 book, tellingly titled, Aus- University of Sydney in 1955 to cake” form of uranium that is tralia’s Uranium Opportunities: foreshadow a line of nuclear pow- mined from the ground up to the 3-4% purity necessary for most This book is an excellent per- How Her Scientists and Engineers er plants “from Alice Springs to the sonal account of Australia’s lit- Tried to bring Her into the Nucle- Arafura Sea”; and it was the world’s nuclear reactors. (Again, contrary to anti-nuclear propagandists, this tle known history in nuclear ar Age but were Stymied by Poli- first genuine competitive tender science. Tragically, the author, tics. for a nuclear power station, which is not the process that enriches ura- and many of his contemporar- In its lifetime, the AAEC con- triggered advances in enrichment nium fuel for nuclear weapons, ies, are watching their lives’ structed the Lucas Heights nucle- technology worldwide. The deci- which requires above 90% purity). work go to waste. ar research facility, and among its sion to build Jervis Bay had been This project was given particular many research projects conducted made explicitly “in the national encouragement by Labor Prime Minister Gough Whitlam’s Miner- Tragically, with the sacking of the position took over. Practically, this notable research into reactor mod- interest”. The decision by McMa- saw the implementation of the els, and the uranium enrichment hon to scrap the project, after ten- als and Energy Minister, R.F.X. Whitlam Government in 1975, di- (Rex) Connor, who had a grand vi- rectly because of Connor’s vision “three uranium mines” policy, process. In its research into reactor ders had closed, the design decid- which effectively leaves Austral- models, the AAEC particularly fo- ed and some foundations laid, was sion of an Australian uranium infor an Australian-owned resource dustry. The potential was enormous: industry, so effectively ended the ia’s huge uranium reserves barely cussed on high temperature reac- justified purely on financial touched, while competitor nations tors (HTRs), and conducted a sig- grounds, and dubious ones at that. Australia contains 30% of the AAEC’s uranium enrichment work, world’s known uranium reserves— and a major export industry oppor- like Canada enjoy booming export nificant amount of the very early In his book, Keith Alder reports PM industries. It also saw the AAEC research into pebble bed reactors. McMahon said to him, “How can I more than any other country—and tunity was lost. immediately upon beginning re- With the advent of the Hawke wound up in 1985, and replaced This research was discontinued by possibly approve a nuclear power by the Australian Nuclear Science the AAEC in the late 1960s, and station when I’m faced with the search in the field in the 1970s, the Labor government in 1983, any AAEC was inundated with expres- remaining serious nuclear aspira- and Technology Organisation was seen as unsuccessful, but to- need to cut pre-school education (ANSTO). Thus officially Austral- day pebble bed HTRs are seen as in Canberra?” However, Alder sions of interest from countries keen tions in Australia were effectively to develop Australia as an alterna- killed off, and a strongly irration- ia’s 30-year commitment to nucle- the fourth generation, super-safe maintains, “In retrospect, the Jervis ar science. reactors whose widespread appli- Bay Nuclear Power Station would tive source of enriched uranium. al, anti-science “environmental” Australia and the Current Global Reality ustralia’s present anti-nuclear and the United States, the once- pressed Russian machining indus- planned are two 1,000 megawatt In a discussion with the New Apolicy has serious ramifica- mighty nuclear industrial sector is try. At present, Russia is building (MW) reactors at Haiyang, while Citizen on January 4, 2002, former tions. Firstly, we are denying our- threatened with extinction, thanks six large nuclear power reactors four additional units for Hui An, Newcastle Associate Professor of selves the most efficient power to the media-driven anti-nuclear abroad: two nuclear reactors in Chi- Fujian, Sanmen, and Zhejiang are Physics Dr. Colin Keay, the author source in the world, thus thwart- hysteria in the population and in- na (Tianwan 1 and 2 at Lianyun- under study. of two books on nuclear matters, ing our own development. Second- stitutions. But in Asia, nuclear en- gang, Jiangsu Province); two nucle- In South Korea, two nuclear Nuclear Energy Fallacies, and ly, we are potentially placing our- ergy is in the beginning phases of ar units in India, at Kudal; and two power plants are under construc- Nuclear Radiation Exposed, selves at risk from desperate neigh- a vast upsurge. reactors in Iran, at Bushehr. tion, and the construction of an spelled out a solution to this situa- bours in our region seeking an en- Characteristic of this develop- A whole series of further projects additional 12 units is planned by tion. ergy source which we possess in ment is the fact, that nuclear pow- is under discussion. Nuclear pow- 2015. Japan projects the construc- “What Australia could do, and abundance, but are just sitting on. er plants have become an “export er is making a comeback in Russia tion of an additional 20 large nu- this would be, in my view a high- For instance, in Western Europe champion” of an otherwise de- itself: The nuclear energy plant clear reactors. ly moral approach, is to partici- Rostov 1 went on line in 2001; India plans 12 additional nucle- pate in the full fuel cycle. We mine three additional nuclear units are ar energy plants. Even Vietnam is the uranium, and we make the fuel now under construction, and nine planning the construction of a first rods for reactors to the specifica- Exposing the Myths others are planned by 2010. Be- nuclear power plant by 2020, in tions of whatever reactor they are yond this, the Russian Ministry of its long-term government program. needed for. And to replace those Atomic Energy has drawn up a Indonesia, while a major petrole- fuel rods when the energy has Australia nuclear energy development was thwarted by poli- comprehensive plan for the devel- um-exporting nation, has also been been extracted, we supply more cies based not on scientific fact, but on anti-nuclear scare opment of nuclear power, accord- studying the possible domestic upon return of the old ones, which stories that are nothing more than superstitions. In two self- ing to which the relative share of applications of nuclear power. we then reprocess. For the intrac- published booklets, Dr. Colin Keay, PhD, DSc, a former Asso- this energy source in the total en- In Australia’s Uranium Oppor- table waste, we’ve got the world’s ciate Professor of Physics for 24 years at the University of ergy generation of the nation will tunities, Keith Alder spells out the best opportunity for burying and increase dramatically over the awkward position Australia’s cur- disposing of it. We reprocess it, we Newcastle, who has no past or present connection with the coming 20 years. rent policy is put in by these nu- salvage material to put into the nuclear industry, has emphatically exposed these supersti- China is also opting for a large- clear developments in Asia. “Look- new fuel rods, and we keep the tions, “in the interests of a better future for Australians…” “Nu- scale expansion of nuclear power. ing ahead, all of the Asian coun- cycle going. That way Australia clear Energy Fallacies: Forty Reasons to Stop and Think”, Although that nation possesses tries expanding their nuclear pro- maintains tight control over the and “Nuclear Radiation Exposed: A Guide to Better Under- enormous reserves of coal, the an- grammes that I outlined earlier will whole cycle, because if any mate- nual mining, distribution, and need increasing supplies of urani- rial gets out of that cycle, it is sub- standing” are mandatory reading for any open-minded Austral- burning of over a billion tons of um. They all know we have it, in ject to the provisions of the Nu- ians who want a scientific understanding of nuclear matters, coal per year creates an enormous large quantities. If we continue to clear Non-Proliferation Treaty. as opposed to the mass media-propagated superstitions. These burden on the transport system and say ‘no’ to exploration and min- And so we are really upholding an concisely-written, 36-page booklets are available from the the environment, and drags down ing and the world supply becomes international treaty, and we are author for just $7.00 each, by writing to: the physical productivity of the scarce or expensive, what do you behaving in a highly ethical way. Chinese economy. For that reason think their attitude will be. I am We could do that.” alone, a broad utilisation of nucle- not pointing the finger at anyone Further to that commonsense The Enlightenment Press ar energy is inevitable. There are in particular, just pointing out that initial step, there is a wealth of ex- PO Box 166 now eight large nuclear power re- if we don’t take advantage of our citing potential developments that Waratah NSW 2298 actors under construction: Qin- resources someone else may come would open up for Australia, if Aus- shan 2, 3, 4 and 5; Lingao 1 and 2; and do it for us. And who will stop tralia ditches its current irrational, http://www.enlightenmentpress.com and Tianwan 1 and 2. them? None of the administrators anti-science, anti-nuclear policy and Email: [email protected] These projects will all be com- of heritage areas, parks and wild- develops a modern, clean, safe nu- pleted by 2005. Additionally life areas, or aboriginal reserves.” clear power industry. The New Citizen April 2006 Page 27 The Infrastructure Road to Recovery Go Nuclear!

The High-Temperature Reactor is Coming by Jonathan Tennenbaum Figure 1 t the beginning of 2001, in the of a graphite-lined cylindrical Avicinity of China’s capital, chamber of 1.8 meters diameter, Beijing, a unique nuclear reactor filled with 27,000 spherical fuel was put into operation, which is elements (“pebbles”), each the size destined to play a key role in the of a tennis ball. Each fuel “peb- development of the Eurasian in- ble” contains about 8,300 tiny par- frastructure corridors. This is the ticles of enriched uranium, about “pebble-bed” high-temperature the size of a grain of sand, embed- reactor (HTR), first developed in ded in a graphite matrix. Each par- Germany. After decades-long, high- ticle is encased in concentric lay- ly successful operation of the first ers of a high-temperature ceramic HTR test reactor AVR in Jülich, (silicon carbide) and carbon mate- and the construction and operation rial. of a 500MW HTR power plant at The idea of such “coated parti- Hamm-Uentrop, this revolutionary cles” is that the radioactive sub- technology became the victim of stances which are generated by the politically manipulated hyste- nuclear fission reactions, are per- ria against nuclear energy in Ger- manently trapped within the parti- many. The pebble-bed reactor sub- cles themselves, and cannot escape sequently emigrated—exactly like to the environment. The fuel ele- the German-developed Transrap- ments are so constituted, that they id—to China, and also to South withstand even extreme tempera- Africa. tures—up to 1,000oC in normal In the Institute for Nuclear Ener- operation, and even peak temper- gy Technology (INET) of the Chi- atures of 1,600oC in the event of a nese Tsinghua University, the HTR failure of the cooling system— was realised in an especially prom- without any considerable quanti- ising form for worldwide applica- ties of radioactivity escaping to the tion. The 10MW Chinese HTR-10 outside. In addition to this, the fuel is the prototype of a standardised pebbles permit a continuous modular reactor of approximately fueling of the reactor. This elimi- 200MW-thermal capacity, which nates the need to interrupt power can be mass-produced at low cost operation for several weeks for fuel in the future. On account of its sim- reloading, as is the case with con- ple construction and operation, in- ventional reactors. In the HTR, fuel herent safety, small unit-size, flex- pebbles are continuously fed in Source: ESKOM ibility, and ease of maintenance, from the top of the reactor, while this reactor is eminently suited for old ones are gradually removed The elements of a pebble-bed modular reactor—the future in safe, efficient power production. use in developing nations. from the core via its funnel-shaped Apart from China, these advan- bottom. tages of the HTR have moved the Through the use of ceramic, conventional nuclear technology gy economy, where energy is need- bilities for a very much simpler, and large South African electric power “sealed” fuel pebbles, it is possi- lies in the fact, that the HTR has a ed directly in the form of heat. HTR at the same time more efficient con- company, ESKOM, to launch an ble to greatly simplify the entire much higher operating tempera- process heat can replace a part of version of reactor heat into electric- ambitious program for the devel- construction of the reactor, mak- ture—900oC, or more. Therefore, the costly and environmentally ity. There are also various possibili- opment and assembly-line producing it inherently safe under all con- the HTR can not only reach a high- damaging burning of coal, oil, and ties for tapping the HTR’s waste tion of HTR modules. ESCOM ditions. An accident leading to er thermodynamic efficiency in the natural gas. heat. The helium turbine plays a plans, after the success of a first, dangerous escape of radioactivity generation of electric power, but Chinese experts have in mind, large role in the plans of the South prototype project, to produce 30 to the environment is precluded in can also serve as an economical among other things, to use HTRs Africans, who hope to be able to modules every year: 10 for inter- this reactor, because of its special source of process heat for various for generating high-temperature produce electricity at the extreme- nal consumption and 20 for export physical characteristics—above chemical and other industrial proc- steam, whose injection under- ly advantageous cost of about 1.6 (illustrated in Fig. 1). The Chinese all, the “trapping” of radioactive esses. Among these are the envi- ground can make it possible to ex- U.S. cents per kilowatt-hour. HTR-10, already in operation, is products in the fuel elements up to ronmentally friendly generation of ploit major heavy oil deposits in The majority of the components supplying important advance data high temperatures and the strong fuels such as hydrogen and meth- the country. of the HTR-10 were produced in and practical experience for the “negative temperature co-effi- anol from natural gas; coal gassi- In a first period, the heat gener- China itself, including the reactor South African program. In the area cient,” which prevents a “runaway” fication; process steam generation, ated from the Chinese prototype vessel, steam generator, and the of HTR development, a compre- power increase in the reactor. The metallurgical processes, and so HTR-10 will only be utilised, with helium cycle cooling system. Ex- hensive international cooperation HTR does not need the intricate, forth. the help of a conventional steam ceptions are the graphite structures has emerged in recent years, with expensive safety systems that are Where conventional nuclear generator and a turbine, to gener- for neutron moderation in the nu- the participation of China, South required for conventional nuclear plants are only suited to, and de- ate electrical power. INET plans clear reactor. The special graphite Africa, Germany, France, Russia, power plants. Yet, this is only one signed for, delivering electrical later to install a compact helium was imported from Japan; the pre- and the United States. of its many advantages. power, the HTR can be employed turbine in the primary cooling cy- cision machining of the material The core of the HTR-10 consists A decisive breakthrough over in many more sectors of the ener- cle, in order to explore the possi- was done, however, in China. Solve the Water Crisis With Nuclear Desalination uclear desalination, re- Nuclear Desalination Most Nsearched since the 1960s, is Attractive a technology ready for take-off as Any power plant—even a small Nuclear desalination complexes (nuplexes) a clean, economical source for diesel engine—can be coupled to such as this could produce “rivers of water”, supplying safe drinking water a desalination facility. But nucle- and transform Australia and the other dry from seawater. As Lance Enders- ar plants are the most attractive areas of the world. bee makes clear, there is no time power source for desalination, be- to waste in planning and build- cause they are more energy-inten- ing desalination plants that can sive than plants fired by conven- meet the looming deficits of fresh tional fuels, and cleaner. Although water for the world’s population. almost any kind of nuclear plant Conventional desalination could be used to power a desali- plants powered by the steam or nation facility, the fourth-genera- electricity that is produced by gas tion high-temperature nuclear re- or oil, have been operating for 50 actors which are 50% more effi- years, and in 2001, there were cient, modular, mass-producible, 12,451 desalination plants world- and super-safe-are ideal for the job. wide. In the Gulf region and North Because of its passive safety char- Africa, desalination supplies acteristics and smaller design, the about one million cubic meters new high temperature reactors (ei- per day of water, while Saudi Ara- ther the South African Pebble Bed bia, which is even more depend- or the prismatic core model of Gen- ent on desalination, has a capaci- eral Atomics), can be easily sited ty of four million cubic meters per near the water-distribution sys- day. The Mideast and Gulf re- tems. gions are the largest users, with Especially for developing-sector more than 50% of the world’s de- countries, which do not have large salination capacity. power grids, the small to medium- There are three main desalina- size, fourth-generation reactors are tion technologies: reverse osmo- economical, because they can be sis, or RO, which is used in nearly added to the grid module by mod- building a large desalination fa- mental Malthusians. inherent advantages, such as no half of today’s desalination ule, as demand increases. cility powered by a high-tempera- The International Atomic Ener- pollution, continuous operation, plants; multi-effect distillation For industrialised countries, ture gas-cooled reactor of the Gen- gy Agency has conducted research and a secured fuel supply; and that (MED); and multi-stage flash dis- larger nuclear plants are appropri- eral Atomics design. The desalina- and feasibility studies on nuclear both the heat and/or the electrici- tillation (MSF). All three technol- ate. In fact, in the 1980s, the Met- tion process was designed to di- desalination since the Atoms for ty produced by a nuclear reactor ogies are still undergoing re- ropolitan Water District of South- rectly use exhaust heat from the Peace days. In its recent studies, can be used for desalination, per- search to improve efficiency and ern California, which serves the reactor. Although economically the IAEA has stressed that nuclear mitting flexible design concepts. cost. large desert population of more and technologically feasible, the desalination is cost competitive —Marjorie Mazel Hecht than 15 million people, proposed project was killed by the environ- against other energy sources; it has Page 28 The New Citizen April 2006 The Infrastructure Road to Recovery Go Nuclear!

Super-Safe Nuclear Power: the Meltdown-Proof Pebble Bed Reactor his diagram, a cutaway of Fig. the radiation is safely T1 (p.27), illustrates the breath- contained, and after use, Figure 2 takingly simple function of a Peb- the pebbles can be safely ble Bed Modular Reactor (PBMR), stored, very cheaply. as designed by South Africa’s Es- To produce electricity kom company. The steel pressure in a PBMR, helium gas at reactor vessel of the PBMR is six 500oC is inserted at the metres in diameter and 20 metres top of the reactor, and high, inside a building that is 21 passes among the fission- metres below ground. The walls of ing fuel pebbles, leaving the reactor vessel are lined with the reactor core at 900oC. one- metre thick graphite bricks. From there it passes Inside the reactor vessel are through three turbines, How the PBMR works. A cutaway of the the first two driving com- PBMR, right, and below, the interior of 310,000 fuel “pebbles” which are the fuel pebbles that contain the nuclear the size of tennis balls, plus pressors, and the third the reaction and by-products, and make 130,000 graphite balls, which generator. There the nat- PBMRs “meltdown proof”. moderate the reaction. The fuel ural thermal expansion of pebbles contain uranium, which the helium is transformed releases the neutrons that cause fis- into the rotational motion sioning in other uranium, thereby to generate electricity. releasing even more neutrons that The expanded helium is expand the process in what is then recycled into the re- known as a chain reaction, while actor core by two turbo- the moderator pebbles slow the compressors. The helium neutrons down enough to ensure a leaves the recuperator at controlled chain reaction. about 140oC, and its tem- The fuel pebbles consist of perature is lowered further about 15,000 tiny particles of ura- to about 30oC in a water- nium oxide, each coated with lay- cooled pre-cooler. The he- ers of ceramics and silicon carbide, lium is then repressurised, forming an impenetrable barrier and moves back to the which contains the fuel. These par- heat exchanger to pick up ticles are then mixed with graph- heat before going back to ite and moulded into pebbles. the reactor core. This di- These pebbles can operate even at rect cycle helium turbine very high temperatures of nearly simplifies the normal re- 900oC, and in fact can withstand actor operations, and temperatures at which normal fuel makes many standard as- rods in conventional reactors pects of conventional re- would fail. A further safety aspect actors unnecessary. The of these pebbles is that the radio- outlet temperature of active fission products of the spent 900oC is also far higher than the systems of the PBMR make it there is a self-stabilising tempera- sioning process, and fission de- fuel are locked inside the fuel par- 280o –330o of conventional reac- “meltdown proof”. In any imagi- ture effect in the reactor core: if creases, because of the large ticles, thanks to their silicon car- tors, and gives this type of reactor nable accident scenario, the reac- the temperature rises, it slows amount of unfissionable uranium- bide coating. Therefore, even in its name: high temperature reactor. tor shuts itself down, without any down the neutron production that 238 in the fuel particles which cap- the worst conceivable emergency, The inherent and passive safety additional safety systems. Further, is central to the chain reaction fis- ture the neutrons.

Hot Air Over Wind Energy by Greg Murphy (Reprinted from the Fall 2001 21st Century Science and Technology magazine.) n the Midwest and other parts of watt-hour (kwh) Production Tax by the industry for wind Ithe country, near-bankrupt farm- Credit for all electricity generated power is not a true cost, ers are being sold a bill of goods by new wind plants for the first 10 but an accounting fiction, by the Department of Energy about years of operation. This Production called a levelized cost. how they should rent (or lease) Tax Credit will expire on Decem- Technically, the lev- their land to be used as “wind ber 31, 2001, and the American elized cost of energy, is the farms,” where “high tech” windmill Wind Energy Association is cur- cost in current dollars of turbines will allegedly make them rently lobbying Congress to ex- all fuel, capital, and oper- money by selling electricity to the tend the tax credit for at least five ating and maintenance power grid. In fact, the only way more years. expenses during the life- wind power can make money, is Several states are pushing for time of the power plant, with huge government subsidies, legislation, known as Renewable divided by the estimated tax breaks, and phoney account- Portfolio Standards (RPS), which output in kilowatt-hours ing. mandates that a certain percentage over the lifetime of the Here’s what the wind-power of electrical power must come from power plant. In the case of windbags are doing, and why it so-called renewable sources, like a wind farm, there is no won’t work. wind power, and that these wind cost for fuel, but the wind The push for “alternative ener- percentages increase year after turbine is dependent on gy sources” goes back to the post- year. Some of the states are giving nature to provide the nec- John F. Kennedy paradigm shift, tax incentives or rebates for the essary wind. The problem purchase of small wind turbines, with considering the lev- when the ruling elites decided to Great swathes of land are tied up in the grossly inefficient production of electricity, using windmills. as in the case of California, which elized cost in the case of shift America from an agro-indus- Photo: AFP/lee Celano/ljc trial economy to a post-industrial currently offers a tax rebate of up wind energy is that this service society. The widescale pro- to 50% of the purchase price of the cost is figured on the as- motion of anti-technology ecolo- wind turbine. sumption of a constant maximium crust generates drag that can ruin Wind Fails Energy Density Test gism—and fears about the most wind for a given area. the turbine’s efficiency. The fact is that there is a more efficient available energy source, Phoney Cost Accounting In other words, levelized cost Another consideration is the important factor than cost-in-the- nuclear power—were part of that The truth that the wind energy assumes a constant wind, every day power transmission cost. Even if, small to be considered in evaluat- game plan. This insanity mush- windbags don’t want to tell the for 20 to 30 years! There is no after the 1.5 cents Federal subsidy, ing an energy source. If you look roomed during Jimmy Carter’s Ad- public, is the real cost of produc- place on the Earth that the wind windmills could sell electricity at at the overall demands for electri- ministration, and has been getting tion of wind power! They claim it blows at a constant maximum av- six cents per kwh, the power still cal energy and industrial process worse ever since. To increase the is presently around three to six erage speed all the time. has to move along the transmis- heat in a growing industrial econ- use and development of wind en- cents per kilowatt hour—not quite Further, these calculations are sion grid to the consumer. Because omy, wind energy could never be- ergy and other renewable sources, competitive with other sources, dishonest about the maintenance wind power is an intermittent pow- gin to provide even a tiny percent- the Clinton Administration modi- but in the ballpark. In truth, even cost, keeping them unrealistically er source, rates for access to the age of what is needed. First, you fied its proposed Federal utility with government subsidies, tax low. They figure for a wind farm, transmission grid are higher. To must look at the concentration of restructuring legislation, mandat- breaks, and phoney accounting, which might consist of 100 to 250 counter this, the American Wind energy per area of work, which is ing an increase in the percentage the cost is many times that. windmills, a maintenance crew of Energy Association is lobbying for shown as kwh per square kilome- of electricity produced by renewa- In the 1980s, the cost of gener- three men and a truck. They also what they call “fair access” to the tre. Next, you look at what levels ble sources from 2% today, to ating wind power was about 38 assume a yearly repair cost at a ri- transmission grid. of energy flux density will foster 7.5% by the year 2010. (Sen. James cents per kwh, according to the diculously low total of about $750 Windmill power will never be the increase of the population den- Jeffords (I-Vt.), has proposed to November 1998 Renewable Ener- a year. competitive with more modern sity. The energy density of wind is increase the percentage of electric- gy Policy Program report, titled In reality, wind turbines have forms of energy production. For intrinsically too low to maintain the ity produced by wind to 20%.) “Expanding Wind Energy: Can considerable down time for repairs one thing, the same improvements population at current levels, and will In 1999, Energy Secretary Bill Americans Afford It?” There have and cleaning. One recent study in technology that might make the lead to population decrease over Richardson, announced the Wind been improvements in efficiency found that flying insects—such as wind turbine more efficient would time—which is exactly what the Powering America Initiative which of wind turbines, which have come bees, locusts, gnats, and butter- also improve the efficiency of tur- Malthusian environmentalist move- set the goal of producing 80,000 out of materials and design re- flies—cut the efficiency of turbines turned by coal, oil, gas, and ment wants to accomplish. megawatts of electricity from wind search in the aerospace industry. bines by as much as 25%. Thou- nuclear. But, even if technologi- In order for all mankind to power by the year 2020. However, this has been nowhere sands of insects fly into the tur- cal improvement could miracu- progress, we have to develop sourc- To help make wind power more near enough to drop generation bine blades and die, forming a rag- lously make the cost of wind pow- es of energy with higher flux densi- competitive, the Federal govern- cost to the level being claimed. The ged crust on the blades leading er competitive with modern forms ty and develop the technology that ment provides a 1.5-cent per kilo- three to six cents per kwh claimed edge. Even a millimetre of this such as nuclear, would we want it? can make use of these sources. The New Citizen April 2006 Page 29

The Infrastructure Road to Recovery Go Nuclear!

Thorium: The Preferred Nuclear Fuel of the Future

Nuclear engineer Ramtanu Mai- uranium and thorium are com- tra explains how the development bined. For example, uranium and of thorium fuel cycles will enhance thorium can be mixed homogene- the efficiency and economy of nu- ously within each fuel rod, and in clear power plants. This article is this case the amount of plutonium excerpted from the Fall 2005 issue produced is roughly halved. But of 21st Century Science & Tech- mixing them uniformly is not the nology magazine. Australia has only way to combine the two ele- the world’s largest extractable re- ments, and the mix determines the 200um serves of thorium, so it would be plutonium production. crazy for us not to be world lead- India has completed the first ers in developing thorium-fuelled phase of its program, and moved reactors. into the second phase with a small USGS experimental fast breeder reactor, horium is an abundant element India has a plentiful supply of thorium in the and, in 2004, began the construc- rare earth monazite, found in its beach sands. Tin nature with multiple advan- tion of a 300 MW Advanced Heavy At left, workers transport sand to the Rare tages as a nuclear fuel for future Water Reactor (AWHR), as a pro- Earth Processing Plant at Alwaye. Inset is a reactors of all types. Thorium ore, totype for the third phase. The in- backscattered electron image of a monazite or monazite, exists in vast amounts novative design of the AHWR is crystal. Pure thorium is silver in colour, but it in the dark beach sand of India, characterized by extensive passive becomes gray and then black as it oxidizes. Australia, and Brazil. It is also safety features, making it very safe. found in large amounts in Norway, the United States, Canada, and Abundance of Thorium Information Service of India South Africa. Thorium-based fuel The thorium fuel cycle has many ty of thorium oxide is 10 to 15 per- cycles have been studied for about attractive features. To begin with, cent higher than that of uranium 30 years, but on a much smaller thorium is much more abundant in dioxide, making it easier for heat scale than uranium or uranium/plu- nature than uranium. Soil com- to flow out of the fuel rods used tonium cycles. Germany, India, Ja- monly contains an average of inside a reactor. pan, Russia, the United Kingdom, around six parts per million (ppm) In addition, the melting point of and the United States have con- of thorium, three times as much as thorium oxide is about 500 de- ducted research and development, uranium. Thorium occurs in sever- grees Celsius higher than that of including irradiating thorium fuel al minerals, the most common be- uranium dioxide, which gives the in test reactors to high burn-ups. ing the rare earth thorium-phos- reactor an additional safety mar- Several reactors have used thori- phate mineral, monazite, which gin, if there is a temporary loss of um-based fuel. usually contains from 3 to 9 per- coolant. India is by far the nation most cent, and sometimes up to 12 per- The one challenge in using tho- committed to study and use of tho- cent thorium oxide. In India, the rium as a fuel is that it requires neu- rium fuel; no other country has monazite is found in its southern trons to start off its fission process. done as much neutron physics beach sands. These neutrons can be provided by work on thorium as have Indian Th-232 decays very slowly (its the conventional fissioning of ura- nuclear scientists. The positive re- half-life is about three times the nium or plutonium fuel mixed into sults obtained in this neutron phys- age of the Earth). Most other thor- the thorium, or by a particle accel- ics work have motivated the Indi- ium isotopes are short-lived and erator. Most of the past thorium an nuclear engineers to use thori- thus much more radioactive than research has involved combining um-based fuels in their current Th-232, but of negligible quanti- thorium with conventional nucle- plans for the more advanced reac- ty. ar fuels to provide the neutrons to tors that are now under construc- In addition to thorium’s abun- trigger the fission process. tion. dance, all of the mined thorium is The approach undergoing the is unloaded from the reactor, the arrangement, with the thorium and India decided on a three-stage potentially usable in a reactor, most investigation now is a com- U-233 can be separated from the uranium around it as a “blanket.” ... nuclear program back in the 1950s, compared with only 0.7 percent of bination that keeps a uranium-rich thorium, and then used as fuel in One study concludes: when its nuclear power generation natural uranium. In other words, “seed” in the core, separate from a another nuclear reactor. Uranium- “Thorium fuel offers a promis- program was set up. In the first thorium has some 40 times the thorium-rich “blanket.” The chief 233 is superior to the convention- ing means to dispose of excess stage, natural uranium (U-238) was amount of energy per unit mass proponent of this concept was the al nuclear fuels, U-235 and Pu-239, weapons-grade plutonium in Rus- used in pressurized heavy water that could be made available, com- late Alvin Radkowsky, a nuclear because it has a higher neutron sian VVER-1000 reactors. Using reactors (PHWRs), of which there pared with uranium. pioneer who, under the direction yield per neutron absorbed. This the thorium fuel technology, plu- are now 12. In the second stage, From the technological angle, of Admiral Hyman Rickover, means that once it is activated by tonium can be disposed of up to the plutonium extracted from the one reason that thorium is pre- helped to launch America’s Nucle- neutrons from fissile U-235 or Pu- three times as fast as MOX at a sig- spent fuel of the PHWRs was sched- ferred over enriched uranium is ar Navy during the 1950s, when 239, thorium’s breeding cycle is nificantly lower cost. Spent thori- uled to be used to run fast breeder that the breeding of U-233 from he was chief scientist of the U.S. more efficient than that using U- um fuel would be more prolifera- reactors. The fast breeders would thorium is more efficient than the Naval Reactors Program. Rad- 238 and plutonium. tion-resistant than spent MOX burn a 70-percent mixed oxide breeding of plutonium from U-238. kowsky, who died in 2002 at age (mixed oxide) fuel. ... [The thori- (MOX) fuel to breed fissile urani- This is so because the thorium fuel 86, headed up the design team that The Russian-U.S. Program um fuel technology] will not re- um-233 (U-233) in a thorium-232 creates fewer non-fissile isotopes. built the first U.S. civilian nuclear Since the early 1990s, Russia quire significant and costly reac- (Th-232) blanket around the core. Fuel-cycle designers can take ad- reactor at Shippingport, Pennsyl- has had a program based at Mos- tor modifications. Thorium fuel In the final stage, the fast breeders vantage of this efficiency to de- vania, and made significant con- cow’s Kurchatov Institute to de- also offers additional benefits in would use Th-232 and produce U- crease the amount of spent fuel per tributions to the commercial nu- velop a thorium-uranium fuel. The terms of reduced weight and vol- 233 for use in new reactors. One unit of energy generated, which clear industry during the 1960s Russian program involves the U.S. ume of spent fuel and therefore main advantage of using a combi- reduces the amount of waste to be and 1970s. company Thorium Power, Inc. lower disposal costs.” nation of thorium and uranium is disposed of. Although thorium is not fissile (founded by Radkowsky), which related to the proliferation ques- There are some other benefits. like U-235, Th-232 absorbs slow has U.S. government and private Thorium Fuel Operating tion: There is a significant reduc- For example, thorium oxide, the neutrons to produce U-233, which funding to design fuel for the con- Experience tion in the plutonium content of form of thorium used for nuclear is fissile. In other words, Th-232 is ventional Russian VVER-1000 re- There have been four decades the spent fuel, compared with what power, is a highly stable com- fertile, like U-238. The Th-232 actors. Unlike the usual nuclear of research and development on comes out of a conventional ura- pound—more so than the uranium absorbs a neutron to become Th- fuel, which uses enriched uranium thorium fuel cycles, including in nium-fueled reactor. Just how dioxide that is usually employed 233, which decays to protactinium- oxide, the new fuel assembly de- the ultra-safe pebble-bed modular much less plutonium is made? The in today’s conventional nuclear 233 (Pa-233) and then to fissiona- sign has the plutonium in the cent- reactor (PBMR) now being built answer depends on exactly how the fuel. Also, the thermal conductivi- ble U-233. When the irradiated fuel er as the “seed,” in a demountable in South Africa and China.

The Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) in Trombay, India. Thorium fuel cycles have been intensively studied here, and the design phase of the thorium-fueled Advanced Heavy Water Reactor is under way. At an August 2005 meeting in Brussels on emerging reactor The northern tip of Moreton Island, Queensland showing dark patches of mineral sands designs, two BARC scientists unveiled their design for an Advanced Thorium Breeder Reactor (ATBR) that can produce 600 MW of within the dunes along the beach. Australia, with its abundant mineral sands on the Eastern electricity for two years, with no refueling. and South Western coasts, has the world’s largest reserves of monazite. Page 30 The New Citizen April 2006

The Infrastructure Road to Recovery Go Nuclear!

Between 1967 and 1988, the Heat AVR (Arbeitsgemeinschaft Ver- Uranium-235 Fission product Figure 1 suchsreaktor – “working group test reactor”) experimental pebble bed Simplified Diagram of the Thorium Fuel Cycle reactor at Jülich, Germany (the basis for the South African and Chi- nese PBMRs), operated for more U-232 than 750 weeks at 15 megawatts- N electric, about 95 percent of the time with thorium-based fuel. The N N fuel used consisted of about FISSION 100,000 billiard ball-size fuel ele- Th-232 Intermediates Energy ments. Overall, a total of 1,360 kil- U-233 ograms of thorium was used, mixed with highly enriched uranium Fertile Fissile N (HEU). Maximum burn-ups of Neutrons Fission 150,000 megawatt-days were products achieved. Thorium fuel elements Neutron N with a 10:1 ratio of thorium to highly enriched uranium were ir- N = neutron radiated in the 20-megawatts-thermal (MWt) Dragon reactor at Win- Fission product frith, United Kingdom, for 741 full- The neutron trigger to start the thorium cycle can come from the fissioning of conventional nuclear fuels (uranium or plutonium) or an accelerator. When neutrons hit the fertile thorium- Illustration by Christine Craig power days. Dragon was run as a 232 it decays to the fissile U-233 plus fission fragments (lighter elements) and more cooperative project of the Organi- THE FISSION REACTION neutrons. (Not shown is the short-lived intermediate stage of protactinium-233) zation of Economic Cooperation In the fission reaction, the uranium isotope U-235 is hit by a neutron and splits and Development and Euratom, apart, producing heat and releasing two or three new neutrons and fission Figure 2 involving Austria, Denmark, Swe- products. The released neutrons then bombard other U-235 atoms, continuing den, Norway, and Switzerland, in the fission process. The MIT reactor is used primarily as a producer of neutrons Simplified Diagram of the Uranium Fuel Cycle addition to the United Kingdom, for medical and industrial applications. from 1964 to 1973. The thorium- uranium fuel was used to “breed sorbers). These pebbles were con- Another reactor type, the 60- N N and feed,’’ so that the U-233 that tinuously recycled on load, and on MWe Lingen Boiling Water Reac- U-235 was formed, replaced the U-235 at average the fuel passed six times tor (BWR) in Germany also uti- about the same rate, and fuel could through the core. Fuel fabrication lized fuel test elements that were be left in the reactor for about six was on an industrial scale. thorium-plutonium based. N N years. The General Atomics Peach The Fort St. Vrain reactor in N Energy Bottom high-temperature, graph- Colorado was the only commercial Proliferation Issues N ite-moderated, helium-cooled re- thorium-fueled nuclear plant in the In the early days of the civilian U-235 N actor (HTGR) in the United States United States. Also developed nuclear program, the Acheson-Lil- U-238 operated between 1967 and 1974 from the AVR in Germany, it oper- ienthal Report in 1946 warned of Fissile Fertile at 110-MWt, using highly enriched ated from 1976 to 1989. It was a the connection between civilian Pu-239 uranium with thorium. high-temperature (700EC), graph- nuclear power and nuclear weap- N In India, the Kamini 30-kWt ex- ite-moderated, helium-cooled re- ons, and concluded that the world Fissile perimental neutron-source research actor with a thorium/highly en- could not rely on safeguards alone reactor started up in 1996 near riched uranium fuel, which was “to protect complying states Fission N = neutron = Kalpakkam, using U-233 which designed to operate at 842 mega- against the hazards of violations products was recovered from thorium-diox- watts-thermal (330 MWe). The fuel and evasions”—illicit nuclear ide fuel that had been irradiated in was contained in microspheres of weapons. Acheson-Lilienthal pro- another reactor. The Kamini reac- thorium carbide and Th/U-235 car- posed international controls over In the conventional uranium fuel cycle, the fuel mix contains fissionable U-235 and fertile U- tor is adjacent to the 40-MWt Fast bide, coated with silicon oxide and nuclear power, but also considered 238. A few fast neutrons are released into the reactor core (for example, from a berryllium Breeder Test Reactor, in which the source), and when a neutron hits a U-235 nucleus, it splits apart, producing two fission pyrolytic carbon to retain fission possible technical innovations fragments (lighter elements) and two or three new neutrons. Once the fission process is thorium-dioxide is irradiated. products. that would make it harder to di- initiated, it can continue by itself in a chain reaction, as the neutrons from each fissioned In the Netherlands, an aqueous Unlike the pebble bed design, vert nuclear materials into bomb- uranium nucleus trigger new fissions in nearby nuclei. Some of the U-238, when hit by a homogenous suspension reactor the fuel was arranged in hexago- making. The thorium fuel cycle is neutron, decays to plutonium-239, which is also fissionable. has operated at 1 megawatt-ther- nal columns (“prisms”) in an an- one such technical innovation— mal for three years. The highly en- nular configuration. Almost 25 as yet untapped. riched uranium/thorium fuel is cir- tons of thorium were used in the A 1998 paper by Radkowsky about preventing the spread of from this reactor. culated in solution, and reprocess- reactor fuel, achieving a 170,000- and Galparin describes the most bomb-making materials, have led The economic incentive to re- ing occurs continuously to remove megawatt-days burn-up. advanced work in developing a to an increase in interest in devel- process and reuse the fissile com- fission products, resulting in a high Thorium-based fuel for Pressu- practical nuclear power system that oping thorium-based fuels. The ponent of the Radkowsky Thori- conversion rate to U-233. rized Water Reactors (PWRs) was could be made more “proliferation U.S. Department of Energy has um Reactor spent fuel is also de- investigated at the Shippingport resistant” than conventional reac- funded Radkowsky’s company creased. The once-through cycle Thorium in Power Reactors reactor in the United States (the first tors and fuel cycles. Based on a (Thorium Power) and its partners is economically optimal for its The 300-MWe Thorium High- U.S. commercial reactor, started up thorium fuel cycle, it has the po- in their tests with Russian reactors, core and cycle. Temperature Reactor (THTR) in in 1957), using both U-235 and tential to reduce the amount of plu- as well as three other efforts (two To reiterate the proliferation dif- Germany was developed from the plutonium as the initial fissile ma- tonium generated per gigawatt- national laboratories, two fuel fab- ficulties: the replacement of a Jülich, Germany AVR noted above, terial. The light water breeder re- year by a factor of five, compared rication companies, and a consor- standard (uranium-based) fuel for and operated between 1983 and actor (LWBR) concept was also to conventional uranium-fueled tium of three universities). This nuclear reactors of current genera- 1989 with 674,000 pebbles, over successfully tested at Shipping- reactors. It would also make the research is geared to designing a tion by the Radkowsky Thorium half of them containing thorium/ port, from 1977 to 1982, with tho- generated plutonium and urani- thorium fuel system that will fit Reactor fuel will provide a strong highly enriched uranium fuel (the rium and U-233 fuel clad with zir- um-233 much more difficult to use with conventional reactors. There barrier for nuclear weapon prolif- rest of the pebbles were graphite caloy, using the “seed/blanket” for producing bomb material. is also a new company, Novastar eration. This barrier, in combina- moderator and some neutron ab- concept. Heightened current concerns Resources, that is buying up thor- tion with existing safeguard meas- ium mines in anticipation of thor- ures and procedures, is adequate ium-fueled reactors in the future. to unambiguously disassociate ci- (A) VVER Fuel Rod Assembly (B) Design for Thorium Seed/Blanket Assembly The proliferation potential of the vilian nuclear power from military light water reactor fuel cycle may nuclear power. be significantly reduced by using Other scientists point out that thorium as a fertile component of even if a terrorist group wanted to the nuclear fuel, as noted above. use the blanket plutonium for The main challenge of thorium uti- making a bomb, the process of ex- lization is to design a core and a tracting it from thorium fuel would fuel cycle that would be prolifera- be more difficult than removing it tion-resistant and economically from conventional spent fuel. This feasible. This challenge is met by is because the spent blanket fuel the Radkowsky Thorium Reactor from a thorium fuel cycle would concept. So far, the concept has contain uranium-232, which over been applied to a Russian design time decays into isotopes that emit of a 1,000-MW pressurized water high-energy gamma rays. To ex- reactor VVER, designated as tract the plutonium from this spent VVERT. The main results of the fuel would require significantly preliminary reference design are as more radiation shielding plus ad- follows: The amount of plutoni- ditional remotely operated equip- um contained in the Radkowsky ment in order to reprocess it for Thorium Reactor spent fuel stock- weapons use, making a daunting pile is reduced by 80 percent, in task even more difficult. It would comparison with a VVER of con- also be more complicated to sepa- ventional design. The isotopic rate the fissionable U-233 from ura- composition of the reactor’s plu- nium-238, because of the highly tonium greatly increases the prob- radioactive products present. ability of pre-initiation and yield Overall, the development of tho- degradation of a nuclear explo- rium fuel cycles makes sense for the Radkowsky design for the thorium seed/blanket assembly. The seed sion. An extremely large Pu-238 future, for advancing the efficiency fuel is the inner part of the fuel rod (three-sectioned), and the blanket content causes correspondingly and economy of nuclear power fuel is the outer part. The thorium fuel assembly is designed to replace the current fuel assembly, without requiring a major design rehaul. large heat emission, which would plants, ease of recycling, and mak- complicate the design of an explo- ing it more difficult to divert radio- sive device based on plutonium active materials for weapons. The New Citizen April 2006 Page 31 The Infrastructure Road to Recovery— Let’s Build Our Way Out of the Depression! A Great Railway Boom ustralia’s rail sector must corridor rating an F, due to and maintenance, and the problems associated with Abe revolutionised, both “poor track co-ordination, negative externalities asso- horrific working hours. Be- for the sake of transport with- steam age alignments and in- ciated with large and grow- tween 1975 and 2001 the in our country, and also to tie adequate signalling and ing volumes of road traffic.” Federal Government spent Australia into the rest of the communications systems.” That report was three years $43 billion on roads and a world, in particular into the With the exception of rail ago, and, under privatisation miniscule $2 billion on rail, world’s greatest population lines built expressly to serv- and competition policy with even though for medium and centres, at the eastern and ice mineral deposits, most of the exception of the begin- long distance, rail is an in- southeastern Asian terminals Australia’s rail system was ning construction of the Al- herently much more efficient of the Eurasian Land-Bridge. built at the turn of the 20th ice Springs-Darwin railroad, mode of transport. Therefore, This revolution will have two Century. The report of the the rail system has not im- we must plan to spend some axes: Prof. Endersbee’s pro- federal Parliament’s Stand- proved significantly since. tens of billions on the indus- posal for a Melbourne-Dar- ing Committee on Commu- The “negative externalities” try over the next ten years, win Asian Express, and a vast nications, Transport and Mi- in the report refer to the hor- both in upgrading existing upgrading and expansion of croeconomic Reform, Track- rible figure of $15 billion per lines, but in particular in Australia’s rail network cen- ing Australia warned in year lost in road accidents on building the Asian Express tring upon the new magnetic 1998, “Without urgent and overcrowded, deteriorating and a mag-lev grid tying to- levitation (mag-lev) rail tech- substantial investment in this roads along with an estimat- gether all of our major popu- nology pioneered in Germa- infrastructure, major sections ed $13 billion annual loss lation centres. ny, and which is now being of the national rail network due to congestion, which is built in China. are likely to become irre- expected to rise to $30 bil- Our nation’s rail sector at trievable within ten years. In lion by 2015. Only a tiny present is a pathetic sham- this context, the rationale for fraction of the nation’s pas- bles, so bad that the 2001 increased investment in rail senger traffic moves by rail, Australian Infrastructure Re- infrastructure has to be about and, since 1975, rail’s share port Card prepared by the In- averting the potentially enor- of interstate non-bulk freight stitution of Engineers, Aus- mous costs of diminished or has declined from 60% to Prof. Endersbee’s Asian Express, a tralia, a very conservative, defunct rail services between 35%, even as the trucking high-speed train from Melbourne to understated body, rates it at major cities on the eastern industry is suffering record Darwin, our gateway to Asia, would D-, with the crucial Mel- seaboard, including in- rates of bankruptcies and revolutionise Australia’s export bourne-Sydney-Brisbane rail creased road construction psychological and health potentials. The Asian Express

Source: EIR

he Melbourne to Darwin Asian Fig. 2 TExpress proposal, which Prof. Value Added per Megalitre of Water Endersbee later expanded into the Supplied by Industry, 1995-96 Ring Rail to go around the top end of the continent and terminate in Perth, is a beautiful idea, which Rice would transform Australia’s relations to Asia. Dairy Australia’s present transport system is a huge constraining factor on the nation’s export capabilities, as Sugar Prof. Endersbee explained to the CEC National Conference on No- Cotton vember 23, 1997, “Our present system of shipping involves what are still effectively Fruit tramp steamers, that go through several ports.… If you have a look at the time tables of all the ships that Grapes come to Australia, you find that when a ship comes to Australia, they Vegetables visit three or four ports in our waters and effectively, most shipping in 0 200 400 600 800 Australia, circumnavigates the continent. This system would cut right $ / ML through this, with a total new transport system. It is not just a railway line. It’s a new transport system. Top, Left and Right: The railroads of the Eurasian Land-Bridge will not merely be transport systems, but 100 km wide “development corridors”, encompassing oil and gas pipelines, Because of the fact that these ships communications networks, superhighways, agro-industrial complexes and new cities—precisely the way Prof. Endersbee’s Asian Express and Ring Rail proposals should function for Australia. Bottom Left: Australia’s agricultural exports have been largely constrained to bulk products which are not time-sensitive, but which are often much less profitable, such as grains, have to call at several ports in Aus- cotton, wool, canned fruits, etc. Bottom Right: Through greatly expanding our irrigated acreage, in combination with high-speed rail and ship links to Asia, we can greatly increase the return tralia, the sort of ships that serve to Australia’s producers, as the combination of this graph and Fig. 2 demonstrate. Australia also call at several ports around in the South West Pacific/ and then, with high speed ferries, ing these areas, and so we can have combined as Europe’s greatest port, analysis of the economies of the East Asia area. So they have a sched- products could be in key Asian ports daily ferry services from Darwin to Rotterdam. project, all the detail I have done in ule of about six weeks, a turnaround in another day or two. Said Prof. Java, Darwin to Singapore, and so The Asian Express should obvi- terms of professional work. I have time of about six weeks. So, for ship- Endersbee, “The distance from Dar- on.” And these Asian ports are huge: ously be built immediately. But, ex- done at least five years solid profes- pers shipping from Australia, it usu- win to Singapore is the same dis- Hong Kong and Singapore are close plained, Prof. Endersbee, sional work on this, and prior to that ally is a month plus, to get to any- tance as the length of the Mediter- to tied for the world’s largest, while “In proposing this project over I was working in Southeast Asia, and where in Asia.” ranean. The sea state is mostly fair- the third largest port in the world is the past five years, I have been to- I have been looking at these econ- With the Asian Express, however, ly flat. In other words it is calm seas Kaohsiung in Taiwan, with four tally opposed by every government omies in Southeast Asia for the last three trains a day could be running most of the time, so that means we ports on the north coast of Java in Australia, federal and state…. And 30 years, and so I had an awful lot between Melbourne and Darwin, can contemplate fast ferries servic- which handle as many containers nobody is really interested in my of background behind me and Page 32 The New Citizen April 2006

The Infrastructure Road to Recovery A Railway Boom what I was proposing was rational would sign on to a national project While refusing to back the rev- former Liberal party fundraiser such a project was effectively let and proper for Australia, and, as which might “divert” anything olutionary Asian Express, Prime and Howard friend Everell Comp- without a tender, under coming de- you can see, the political system away from its own collapsing state Minister Howard has lent federal ton. Aside from the fact that ATEC pression conditions, the privately- was not equal to it.” rail systems and ports; and second, backing, and funds, to a private- will mostly run along existing funded ATEC will never be built in There were several reasons for more importantly, because the fed- ly-funded $10 billion rail scheme routes, which thus negates the es- the first place. this: first, it was a national project, eral government has been on a mad from Melbourne to Darwin, the sential point of the Asian Express, and the nation’s rail and port sys- privatisation, user-pays binge with Australian Transport and Energy its high-speed aspect, and the fact tems are all state-based, so no state the rail system, like everything else. Corridor (ATEC), headed up by that federal government backing for A Mag-lev rail system ve Bracks expressed interest in a compete with air travel. Some mag-lev line. An express trip would “wheel on track” technologies take eight minutes, while a trip with could conceivably do this. “How- two stops, at Keilor Park and Sun- ever”, Nixon observes, “in a world shine, would take only 13 minutes, of rapid technological change, there with speeds hitting 250 km/hour. In are indications that conventional NSW, Transrapid also has a concept ‘wheel on track’ rail systems will in for a regional/orbital system to link the very near future be succeeded Sydney, Wollongong and Newcas- by ‘wheel-less’ trains propelled by tle. the principle of magnetic levitation For two decades now, Australian (maglev). Over the past quarter cen- federal governments have been dith- tury, such systems have moved from ering and doddering over a Sydney the development stage to operation- to Canberra or a Sydney-Canberra- al readiness. Maglev, with its prom- Melbourne high speed link, with ise of a quantum increase in operat- one proposal after another being ing speeds, remains the ‘new tech- turned down as not cheap enough. nology’ seeking to challenge the es- But, in retrospect, perhaps all this tablished performance of ‘wheel on stonewalling will prove to have track’ systems…. [E]nough interna- been useful, since it prevented Aus- tional experience has been gained The future of world transportation—magnetically levitated trains capable of travelling at 550 km/hour. tralia from being stuck with a much to demand that the proper evalua- slower, less effective technology than tion of a major east coast high speed ddressing a conference in Ger- February 2003. The implications of is more than competitive. Especial- the mag-lev. rail network in Australia must in- Amany on May 5, 2001, Lyndon this first contract were summed up ly if one keeps in mind the transfer The most insightful recent evalu- clude a thorough and objective as- LaRouche sketched a bold vision in a recent evaluation in Executive time between airports and city cent- ations of high speed trains for Aus- sessment of the maglev option. At a of the role of mag-lev centred de- Intelligence Review of November ers, and the lengthy checking-in and tralia in the past decade are found time of generational change in the velopment corridors in transform- 2, 2001: boarding procedures of air travel. in two reports by former MP Peter rail industry the technology equa- ing the Eurasian continent, a con- “This revolutionary new technol- At the same time, the Transrapid sys- Nixon, who in 1995 chaired a work- tion remains paramount. The high cept which is equally applicable to ogy is not only suited for passenger tem has all the normal advantages ing group reporting to the Victorian speed option selected for Australia our own vast, undersettled and un- travel at velocities of up to 500 km/ of passenger railroads: above all, State Government on rail strategy. will be required to overcome the re- developed country: hour—for which the German mag- that not only the terminal points of His committee’s report, “The High lated tyrannies of distance and time “This is not railroads, this is not lev system Transrapid was opti- a line, but rather an entire series of Speed Train Report” was updated for the next 100 years or more.” Silk Roads, these are corridors of mized—but in the future will also cities in between are serviced by the by him in July 2000, in his ‘High But, even more important than the development, which run a range of, allow the creation of fully automat- same train, with the unlimited possi- Speed Trains in Australia: Beyond technical aspects of mag-lev, is the let’s say, up to 100 kilometers in ed systems of freight transport, with bility of stopovers for the passengers. 2000.” call with which Nixon ends his re- width, from the Atlantic to the Pa- performance parameters which up “The Transrapid thereby contrib- In the latter, he makes a couple of port, which is an implicit call for a cific, going in various directions. to now are completely unattainable. utes to the general development of crucial points. First, that “Our coun- great mag-lev scheme, as part of a Along these routes, as we did in the Such future freight systems will au- the entire corridor. Whereas for an try is similar in geographic area to broader national purpose of nation- United States with the transconti- tomatically transport containers airplane there is only uninhabited, continental United States and main- building: nental railroad, the area on either from one chosen spot on the net- empty air between takeoff and des- land China. A large proportion of “Nations need to build. Citizens side of the transportation axis be- work to another, like a computer- tination.” our relatively small population live and communities need, and over- comes immediately, in and of itself, controlled industrial conveyor belt. The Chinese are roaring ahead in coastal cities separated by signif- whelmingly seek, to be a part of that a sustainable area of economic de- At speeds of up to 250 km/hour, a with their Shanghai-Pudong mag- icant distances. Almost half of that embrace of a national purpose. The velopment. By that means, you can single mag-lev container freight lev project. “Commander” Wu Xi- population live in and around our strength of a national high speed branch out from the main corridors transport line could support as angming, the director of construc- two largest cities, Sydney and Mel- train project lies in the fact that such into subsidiary corridors of devel- much freight daily, as 20 or more tion for the project, has organised bourne, separated by a distance of a project will deliver much more opment and capture the area. If we parallel conventional railroad lines. the construction in a military-engi- approximately 900 kilometres. Mil- than an alternative transport mode can make that kind of link, one in- “With the Transrapid, the ancient neering style, which will allow the lions more live in the cities and ma- to service existing travel needs. Such teresting kind of change occurs im- invention of the wheel is for the first project to be completed in less than jor regional centres of the east coast a project would provide an impor- mediately.... time becoming obsolete. There is two years. The Chinese took only corridor, and the aggregation of city tant national focus for the develop- “Take transportation alone. Peo- no longer mechanical contact be- six months to build an entire new and regional Australians along its ment of Australia into the 21st Cen- ple who don’t think, think that tween train and track; instead, the factory near Shanghai, which start- path, that high speed trains will be tury. Considerations of national vi- ocean freight is the cheapest way to train is suspended and propelled ed producing the concrete and steel required to effectively serve.” sion and national purpose go to the move freight. That is not true. The forward by electronically steered components of the line in Novem- The benchmark for trains in this very heart of our Australian charac- cheapest way is across land, but not magnetic fields alone, in a friction- ber 2001, to the amazement of Ger- corridor, he notes, is an express trip ter and psyche.” by truck; trucks running up and free manner. As a result, magnetic man journalists who have visited between Sydney and Melbourne in Well said. Now, let’s get on with down the highway tell you that the levitation technology allows, in the site. As China extends the line three hours or less, to effectively the job! economy is being dismantled. It comparison with conventional to Beijing, the system’s components costs too much, it’s intrinsically bad. wheel-track technology, a much would no longer be produced in Railways are much better. Integrat- greater rate of acceleration, steeper Germany, but entirely in China, with ed transport systems, featuring rail- ascents, narrower curves, low noise a view to export to other Asian coun- ways, especially magnetic levita- volume, higher safety because of tries, just as we could establish our tion systems, are excellent. Magnet- fully automatic operation, and great- own mag-lev industry in Australia. ic levitation systems move passen- ly reduced wear-and-tear on the train The Shanghai-Pudong project gers more rapidly, but those same and roadway. has provoked an explosion of in- systems for moving freight, that is “Studies of mag-lev routes in Eu- terest and large-scale proposals in really a wonder. That’s where the rope have shown that not only is the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, payoff comes. If you can move the technology quicker than air trav- the U.S. and other countries. In Aus- freight from Rotterdam to Tokyo at el for relatively short routes, but that tralia, when examining options for an average rate of 300 kilometers even for such longer routes, as from a link from the city of Melbourne per hour, without much stopping Berlin to Moscow or Kiev, mag-lev to the airport, Victorian Premier Ste- along the way, and if for every 100 km of motion across that route, you are generating the creation of wealth through production as a result of the existence of that corridor, then the cost of moving freight from Rotter- dam to Tokyo is less than zero. What ocean freight can do that? Did you ever see a large supercargo ship producing wealth while travelling across the ocean? And at what speed? “Therefore, we have come to a turning point in technology, where the development of the internal land-mass of the world and the great typical frontier is Central and North Asia. That is the greatest single opportunity before all mankind for development.” The mag-lev era has already begun. On January 23, 2001, China and Germany signed a contract to begin the construction, in Shang- hai, of the first magnetic-levitation Above: The world’s first commercial mag-lev rail line, from Shanghai to the Pudong Airport, is being build rail line in the world, which will now and will open in Feb. 2003. Right: The 30 km Shanghai-Pudong mag-lev line is expected to be begin commercial operations in expanded rapidly to Beijing, a distance of 1,250 km. The New Citizen April 2006 Page 33 The Infrastructure Road to Recovery— Let’s Build Our Way Out of the Depression! A World Leader in High-Speed Shipping

Figure 1 14000 by Robert Barwick 12000 ustralia needs a shipping in- Australian National Line (ANL) 10000 Adustry! We are an island-con- from 1989 to 1994, and Chairman 8000 tinent, with a coastline of 19,320 Air of the Australian Shipping Com- 6000 kilometres. In the year 2000, the mission from 1984 to 1989, ex- Foreign Shipping Australian economy exported plained the decline to the New Cit- $ Million 4000 Australian Shipping $101.295 billion worth of rural izen on January 21, “It’s almost en- 2000 produce, resources and manufac- tirely because of government pol- 0 tured goods, and imported icy over the past fifteen years, that $112.445 billion worth of consum- has favoured the importation of 1997/98 er, capital and other goods. The foreign vessels and foreign crews, 1998/99 total sea freight bill on this exter- untaxed and unregulated. The Aus- 1999/00 nal trade was $11.9 billion, $9 bil- tralian government hasn’t, for lion of which was spent on foreign many years, put any support be- Year ships operating in Australia. (See hind either its shipbuilding, or The carriers of Australia’s international merchandise trade. Government policy dictates that nearly $10 billion out of $11 billion is paid to Fig. 1.) This added $3 billion to shipping industries.” foreign shipping operators. Source: Australian Maritime Trasport 2000”, prepared for the Australian Shipowners Association by the Apelbaum Consulting Group Pty. Ltd. January 2001. Australia’s current account deficit, Large steel cargo shipbuilding 9% of the total deficit. Yet, incred- (known as “metal bashing”) lower-wage nations have a compet- operate on Australian routes, with- Deputy Prime Minister and Trans- ibly, Australia has virtually no ceased in Australia in 1978, when itive edge. out complying with Australian port Minister John Anderson brazen- shipping industry. Major ship- BHP closed its Whyalla shipyard. While the decline in shipbuild- award wages and safety regulations. ly admitted to this policy of delib- building in the area of cargo ves- Until then, Australia had produced ing can be partially explained as Furthermore, Australian operators erately disadvantaging the nation’s sels and bulk carriers has been de- a wide range of vessels, including a global phenomenon, Australian and crew pay tax, whereas a very shipping industry in a speech to a funct for more than 20 years. bulk carriers up to 85,000 tonnes Government policy deliberately large proportion of foreign vessels Melbourne dinner in December Worse, the nation’s ship-owning dead weight, roll-on, roll-off ves- disadvantages Australia’s ship- either enjoy tax breaks that most 1999, when he announced that and ship-operating industry has sels and ships for the coastal and ping industry. The Australian Ship- major shipping countries provide “Australia is a shipper nation [ex- been allowed to collapse to minus- international trade.1 But when the owners Association reports no less (unlike Australia), or they operate porter] and not a shipping nation cule proportions: the fleet of com- Government subsidy for shipbuild- than ten pieces of federal legisla- out of tax havens like Panama and [carrier],” and that no incentives mercial Australian flag ships is ing, the Shipbuilding Bounty (a tion that, one way or another, im- Liberia. Panamanian-registered ves- would be provided by the Coali- down to 59 vessels in total, out of percentage of the construction cost pose costs on Australian ship op- sels carried 37.5% of Australia’s in- tion Government. In the words of a total world market of upwards of paid for by the Government), was erators that are not imposed on ternational maritime trade in 1999/ Capt. Bolitho: “The Australian gov- 30,000 vessels. rolled back, Australia’s high wag- foreign operators. For instance, 2000, followed by Liberia at 8.5%. ernment has set out on a policy of The Australian shipping indus- es and living standards, like Eu- Australian flag ships (ships regis- The lack of Government finance using other countries’ tax breaks to try has declined rapidly over the rope’s, became uncompetitive in tered in Australia) are regulated also disadvantages Australia’s ship fund their own shipping industry. past 20 years, because Government shipbuilding, first with Japan, and under occupational health and operators: like most international It’s in terms of finance and govern- policy has been purposely rigged then, in turn, with South Korea, safety and other laws that make industries, the shipping industry is ment incentives that the heart of the to favour cheaper foreign shipping. Taiwan, China and the Philippines. ship operating safe. Foreign ships driven entirely by finance. Without problem lies. Australia doesn’t want As Captain William (Bill) Bolitho, As a “mature” technology, large are predominantly unregulated cheap Government credits, Austral- a shipping industry. It says, ‘If we a legendary Australian maritime bulk carrier shipbuilding isn’t hard and are issued special permits by ian operators can’t buy their vessels can get it cheaper somewhere else, figure who was chairman of the to replicate, Bolitho explained, and the Australian Government to cheap enough to be competitive. let’s do it’.” Fast Boat to China: Australian-Made High-Speed Shipping he one bright spot on the Aus- The immense potential for these Ttralian shipping scene has been high-speed catamarans is in fast the development of a vigorous freight to Asia, right on Australia’s niche industry building small, spe- doorstep. Industry sources report cialised vessels, particularly high- that both the Northern Territory speed catamarans. Two Australian and Queensland governments companies, WA’s Austal Ships, and have canvassed the possibilities of Tasmania’s Incat are world leaders fast freight into Asia, and the con- in high-speed shipping technolo- cept is seen as strong and worka- gy, and have set the standard in ble. The immediate application of the development and production that technology would rapidly ac- of high-speed catamarans and oth- celerate the development of the er fast ferries for the international “Top End” of Australia. According market. Incat has held the Hales to Prof. Lance Endersbee, who has Trophy for the fastest transatlantic studied fast freight potential into crossing for the last three years, its Asia as part of his “Asian Express” Cat-Link V crossing in just 2 days, high-speed rail concept, a fast 20 hours and 9 minutes at an aver- freight service into Jakarta, Singa- age speed of 41.284 knots (nauti- pore and Kuala Lumpur would cre- cal miles per hour; 76.5 km/h or ate a demand for high-value Aus- The record-breaking Cat Link V holds the Hales Trophy for the fastest-ever trans-Atlantic crossing—2 days, 20 hours, 9 minutes. 2 47.5 mph). Austal’s Villum tralian produce, particularly in senger catamarans into fast freight 112 metres long, could make the metres, plus 698 square metres for Clausen holds the record for the fresh fruit and vegetables. The carriers. Their existing fast freight Singapore trip in 53 hours at an palletised cargo forward. Adjusta- longest distance travelled by a fledgling exotic fruit industries designs could transport five to average rate of 36 knots. These are ble mezzanine decks that can be commercial passenger ship in 24 around Darwin, of Kakadu plums, eight times the tonnage of a jum- 1100 tonne vessels that would raised and lowered have been de- hours—1063 nautical miles. peanuts, mangoes, paw paws, and bo jet at a rate of around 40 knots. have to carry 350 tonnes of fuel to veloped which offer even more The export of these catamarans figs, that are being developed al- At that rate, freight would be make the trip non-stop, leaving space, and which can be adjusted has been a successful business for ready using expensive air freight, shipped from Darwin to Singapore between 400 tonnes and 600 to transport cars and live cattle. both companies; however, a recent would be able to expand into large in just two and a half days! tonnes for freight. At 600 tonnes Furthermore, the possibility exists decline in the demand for larger industries for northern WA, the NT, Singapore is 1887 nautical miles of deadweight (i.e. the weight of for curtained-off chiller zones that fast ferries has effected the ship- and northern Queensland, supply- from Darwin, and Jakarta is about the freight), they will operate at 40- can provide varying temperatures building industry. For example, a ing the massive Asian market. 1400. Incat’s Evolution series of 45 knots. The vehicle deck pro- in different sections of the deck, to vessel sold by Incat in January Both Austal and Incat have de- high-speed freight catamarans, vides a total of 3528 square metres meet the varying requirements of 2002 was its first sale for 14 veloped their largely vehicle/pas- which are between 98 metres and of cargo space, or 589 truck lane the different produce, without the months. In the face of the onrush- ing global economic depression, the risk is that the further development of these great Australian companies could be stifled. On the other hand, if LaRouche’s New Bret- ton Woods/Eurasian Land-Bridge global economic recovery plan is adopted, and Australia in that context adopts a national development perspective, then Australia’s export industries will soar, and along with them demand for these high-speed catamarans.

Incat’s Evolution series of fast freighters. Evolution One 12, above, carries passengers and trucks. Evo- lution One 12f, left, carries roll-on, roll-off freight. Both travel at up to 45 knots. Page 34 The New Citizen April 2006 The Infrastructure Road to Recovery High-Speed Shipping need for freezers. Austal’s range of fast freighters include 95m to 116m catamaran “platforms” that have been developed for high-speed transport of containers, trucks, trailers, pallets and aircraft containers. As with In- cat’s craft, the shallow draft and high manoeuvrability of these vessels means they require little in the way of port infrastructure. They offer double the speed and therefore half the travel time of conventional vessels, and their freight cost per kg is up to 80% lower than air freight. Pictured are the Ro-Con (roll-on and container, Ro-Ro (roll-on, roll-off), and Ro-Pax (roll- on and passenger) in Austal’s Auto Express range. In the future, when combined with Prof. Endersbee’s Asian Ex- press from Melbourne to Darwin A comprehensive profile of Incat’s Evolution that will be able to transport pro- One 12 vessel, showing its three-tier lay- duce from the southern states to out. Darwin in just 24 hours, this fast freight technology could transform pleted. With the existing industries the present tyranny-of-distance in Australia’s top end, including industries of Victoria, South Aus- the large live cattle export to Asia, tralia and Tasmania (which are and the existing road transport high-bulk and low-value) into technology of B-double and B-tri- high-value, profitable export in- ple trucks capable of 100 km/h that dustries of fresh fruit and vegeta- can deliver southern states’ goods bles. As these industries expand, to Darwin in a short time, the ele- they will drive a rapid expansion ments of a successful fast freight of the fleet of fast freight vessels. industry are ready to be exploited. In the future, hundreds of fast According to Prof. Endersbee, freight ships could make daily runs “The sensible way to commence from Darwin and other northern fast freight would be for the Aus- ports in Queensland and WA, to tralian Government to underwrite Jakarta and its sister ports in Indo- the line, by buying fast freight ves- nesia, and Singapore and beyond, sels from both Incat and Austal, to brimming with Australian-grown avoid picking winners, and start fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy prod- operating the service. The service ucts, and manufactured goods. will create demand. When the mar- The Government holds the key. ket develops, the Government Prof. Endersbee insists that the es- would probably be able to sell tablishment of fast freight runs those ships for two or three times from Darwin to Asia can begin im- the purchase price. It’s an invest- mediately, and does not have to ment.” wait until the Asian Express is com- Economic Necessity, Political Will ustralia’s geographic location CSL and ANL came because Aus- Aand economic plight both cry tralian industry was acutely disad- out for a strong Australian ship- vantaged because of a lack of shipping industry. With Government ping capacity. However, both lines support in the form of cheap financ- were sabotaged by a political ide- ing and tax breaks, combined with ology that opposed Government regulation of foreign vessels, Aus- involvement in industry, which in tralia can once again enjoy a boom- fact led it to support foreign, pri- ing shipping industry, saving itself vate shipping interests (see histo- the present $10 billion per year in ry of ANL, p. 35). In 2002, history freight costs, an amount which will is repeating itself, and Australian soar as global economic recovery industry is once again disadvan- gets underway. taged by the lack of Australian ship- Australia has a successful track ping capacity. For an island-nation, record in running Government a robust, technologically advanc- shipping lines, through the experi- ing shipping industry is part of the ence of both the 1920s Common- urgently-required infrastructure for wealth Shipping Line, and the sovereignty. Let us, then, dump the 1957 to 1998 Australian National present, costly “free market” ab- Line. The impetus to found both surdity, and get on with the job!

Footnotes 1. Roll-on roll-off is where cargo is driven up a ramp onto a boat and stored, usually by a forklift or a similarly ma- noeuvrable vehicle. When first developed in the 1950s, it was a revolution on conventional ship-loading, where cargo would be lifted up and put down in a hold, and then taken and stored. Roll- on roll-off was more capital intensive Ro-Con Express than conventional methods, because the ramps were expensive, but in terms of operating costs, and turnaround times, it was far more efficient. It was eventually largely replaced in bulk freight carrying by the container freight revolution, but it still has its applications. 2. The standard for a nautical mile is the Earth’s equator. Each of the 360 degrees of the earth’s equator can be further divided into 60 minutes. Each minute of arc is one nautical mile. There- fore the distance around the earth is 360 Ro-Ro Express x 60, or 21,600 nautical miles. This is the standard measurement used by all nations for air and sea travel. Converted from standard measurements, a nautical mile is 1.852 kilometres, or 1.1508 miles.

Austal’s Auto Express range of freight platforms: Ro- Con (roll-on, roll-off and container freight); Ro-Ro (roll- Ro-Pax Express on, roll-off); and Ro-Pax (roll-on and passengers) Ex- press vessels which offer 80% savings on air freight costs. The New Citizen April 2006 Page 35 The Infrastructure Road to Recovery High-Speed Shipping

“Can-do” Shipping—the Australian National Line

nce upon a time, Australia did down value of the ships was fif- Ohave a Government-support- teen million pounds; that we would ed national shipping line, first with be given that sum to buy them from the Commonwealth Shipping Line the Board plus £500,000 working in the 1920s, and then with the capital and no more; and, that if 1957-1998 Australian National we could not make a go of it, to Line (ANL). Both were established Hell with the lot of us. Then, as a out of the bitter experience of get- final shot, he said that he wanted ting caught in world wars without me to run the Line as if I had my an adequate national shipping ca- own funds at risk and that if we pacity. paid a dividend of 6% on its capi- Prior to World War I, colonial tal and kept anything extra to build Australia was totally dependent up the business it would be alright upon Britain for shipping, and Brit- with him—‘But just give us the ain was the destination for most of money, Mister’.” our exports. However, during And they did. With a board com- World War I, Britain’s fear of Ger- prised of experts in matters relat- man u-boats caused it to stop ship- ing to shipping, industry and busi- ping to Australia, and to take the ness, ANL began turning an imme- much shorter and safer route to diate profit. In its first four and a South America for trade instead. half months’ trading to June 30, Then, in 1915, Australia raised a 1957, ANL made a profit of bumper wheat crop, but had no £1,139,296, and paid a dividend means to transport it anywhere. of £433,064 to the Government. Prime Minister William Hughes Williams wrote: “I had much pleas- travelled to London and pur- ure in taking the cheque to Shane chased six steamers, which became Paltridge with the remark, ‘Sir, here Shipping in Australia. The government campaign against the ANL, and the Australian ship-operating generally, has pushed it almost entirely Australia’s first national shipping is the money!’.” into foreign hands. company, the Commonwealth The timing of the establishment Shipping Line (CSL). CSL contin- of ANL proved very fortunate, be- cargo ships lifted the cargo up and one occasion had any issue been years of spectacular operational ued until 1929, when Australia’s cause at that time the price of sec- lowered it into the hold of the ship, the subject of a vote, “such was success as chairman of ANL. “We Anglophile, treacherous Prime ondhand ships was “astonishing- ro-ro loaded cargo on wheels, the cohesion and cooperation retired fully content,” he wrote. Minister, Lord Stanley Melbourne ly” high. The ANL board immedi- which was driven up a ramp into amongst us.” In 1994, PM Paul Keating’s fed- Bruce, sold it to a group of British ately sold all of the “dogs” of the the ship; although more capital But, there was not always peace eral Transport Minister Laurie shipowners. These private ship- old ASB fleet, and made sufficient intensive, because the ramps were on the political front, with the Brereton lambasted ANL as a “bas- owners promptly shut CSL down, money to buy newer and better expensive, in terms of operating Government. After Sen. Paltridge ket case with negative net worth” forcing Australia to once again rely ships. For example, they were able costs and turnaround times, ro-ro moved on to another portfolio, that “could not be given away”. on Britain for its shipping. to sell one 10,000 ton vessel for was a revolution in cargo handling ANL came under the direction of The facts of this were hotly disput- Ten years later, history repeated £650,000, that a few years earlier in those days before container first Sir Hubert Opperman and then ed at the time by Capt. Bolitho, itself. Upon the declaration of had been worth just £200,000! freight. Indeed, ANL’s ro-ro capac- Sir Gordon Freeth as Ministers for and the attempted privatisation World War II, Australia was unable ANL was able to procure a fleet of ity was so good it was competitive Transport and Shipping. Williams didn’t proceed. However, in 1998, to get its product to market (as it 10,000-ton vessels of the “Lake with the new container freight rev- reports that both men were as help- the line that “could not be given turned out it wasn’t just freighters Class”, that were mainly put into olution in shipping in the 1960s, ful as Sen. Paltridge had been. away” was indeed sold, by Keat- Britain was unable to provide— operation carrying iron ore for long after container freight was Then, in 1968, Freeth was replaced ing’s fellow privatisers, the Liber- its oft-promised Navy wasn’t sent BHP between Whyalla and Port established. With this technologi- by National Party MP Ian Sinclair, al/National Coalition. The parts of to defend Singapore on Australia’s Kembla, for the lowest iron ore cal and commercial edge, ANL es- forebodingly nicknamed “Sink- ANL were sold for $200 million, behalf, either). The Government’s rates on a ton-mile basis of any- tablished a relationship with the ers”. Williams reports that Sinclair proving Bolitho correct, and ex- response was to establish another where in the western world. Kawasaki company in Japan that began a systematic campaign of posing Brereton’s and the ALP’s national shipping company, the However, far from being the re- allowed for a very profitable Ja- “bureaucratic meddling” in the claims as lies. Australian Shipping Board (ASB). sult of just good fortune, ANL’s pan-Australia freight route em- running of the company, and that Talking to the New Citizen, In 1957. The ASB became ANL, success must be mainly attributed ploying three ships. he bluntly informed the ANL board Capt. Bolitho predicted that the and for the next 41 years, until it to plain hard work and creativity. Based upon its profitable ro-ro that they should see themselves as wheel will turn, and that once again was sold off in 1998, transported In 1959, faced with rising freight technology, which allowed it to what he called a “Political Instru- Australia will have no choice but freight for Australian industry. Fur- prices, Williams recruited an engi- pay high wages to its union work- ment” and not an independent to re-establish a Government ship- thermore, it did so very profitably, neer and the chairman of the Vic- force, the ANL enjoyed productive, shipping company. This was a dra- ping line. “It’s been my view for especially when supported by pro- torian Grain Elevators Board to amicable relations with James matic shift away from policy gov- many years that you can’t leave industry political leaders. help him devise and patent a press- Healy and his Waterside Workers erning the previous twelve years yourself entirely at the mercy of ANL eventually fell victim to button wheat discharging system Federation, “without an argument of successful operation, and at one the market,” he warned. “The free two ideological shifts in Austral- comprised of screw conveyors and for twelve years,” as Williams re- point the tension between ANL market will always cut your throat ia: 1) the post-industrial society a form of bulldozer blade that de- ported. And the peace in the docks and Sinkers got so bad that Nation- in the end if it can. You really need that emerged out of the 1960s posited wheat onto a belt and into was mirrored by the peace in the al Party leader John “Black Jack” some form of counterbalance your- rock-drug-sex counterculture, a silo at a rate of 250 tons per hour. boardroom. Long after retiring, McEwen was forced to intervene self, even if only to keep them hon- which saw many industries dis- The invention never broke down, Williams was reminiscing with an- on ANL’s side. Williams reports est. So Australia really does need mantled, including Australia’s nu- it turned the ship it was designed other board member from the peri- that subsequently, the “Political its own shipping line—there’s no clear and machine-tool industries, for into the best profit earner in the od, Dudley Williams, about their Instrument” campaign faded into question about it. It’s an island beginning in the late 1960s, and fleet, and it reduced the freight rate 15 years together, and Dudley Wil- the background, but not long af- nation.” 2) the Mont Pelerin Society “revo- by 20%. But, when it was first tried liams reminded him that on not terward Williams retired after 15 lution” of economic rationalism out, there was an initial fault, that and globalisation that accompa- forced Williams, the chairman of nied Bob Hawke’s rise to power, the company, to personally shov- with his agenda of privatisation el wheat all night to overcome it. Globalisation, Depression, and a New Dark Age, Or and deregulation. In its day, how- On June 30, 1959, ANL paid a ever, ANL served Australia admi- dividend of £985,507, despite fall- Sovereign Nations and an Agro-Industrial Renaissance? rably, and is a shining example of ing trade. In the two years since it what Australia could achieve with had been founded, ANL had paid a strong commitment to a shipping out £8,694,382 in company taxes industry. plus £2,394,447 in dividends to Read LaRouche’s EIR —The magazine that The story of the early, success- the Treasury, “real money then,” ful days of ANL is told in Chapter commented Williams. That’s £11 makes history! 14 of Capt. John Williams’ fasci- million paid back to the Govern- nating autobiography, So Ends ment on its initial investment of This Day. Capt. Williams was ANL’s £15.5 million, in two and a half founding chairman, and led it for years! By 1962, ANL’s annual re- its first 15 years. Williams was a port noted that funds invested in Welsh-born seafarer of many years ships had increased by £12,170,722 experience, whom the Menzies upon the initial £15 million invest- Government’s Minister for Ship- ment to £27,853,383 without call- ping and Transport, Senator Shane ing on the Government for addi- Paltridge, approached to head up tional funds. This capital increase its new venture to establish a gov- of nearly £13 million in five years ernment-owned shipping line on a was achieved despite ANL being commercial basis. denied the right to act as their own Williams’ recollection of Sen. agents or handle their own steve- Paltridge’s opening directive for doring, both heavy outgoings the operation of ANL perfectly when carried out externally. In ad- captures the spirit in which ANL dition, the entire ANL fleet was was launched: “Without further limited to no more than 300,000 palaver, I was told the fleet was to tons to help protect the private sec- be run as a private enterprise show: tor against competition from a “The finest private intelligence service in the world.” that we would be expected to pro- Government entity. vide an adequate and efficient serv- ANL pioneered roll-on, roll-off —U.S National Security Council Official ice, including the less payable (ro-ro) freight in Australia, which trades; that we need not look for was a big technological leap over any Government help or favour, the the conventional cargo handling For a free copy of EIR telephone 1-800-636-432 reverse in fact; that the written- of the day. Whereas conventional Page 36 The New Citizen April 2006 The Infrastructure Road to Recovery— Let’s Build Our Way Out of the Depression! Conquering Space by Marsha Freeman New, revolutionary space launch missiles, to evolve commercial vehicles, including hypersonic launch vehicles, and for science or the past year, the most chal- planes, are under development, to experiments above the Earth’s at- Flenging and promising interna- make access to space safer and mosphere, were test flown up tional science and engineering cheaper than it is today. If the cost through the 1970s at this expan- project ever attempted has been of launching a kilogram of pay- sive facility. orbiting 250 miles above our load into Earth orbit can be low- But throughout that time, and heads. With the participation of 16 ered by an order of magnitude, it since, Australia has failed to take nations, the International Space will be possible for non-astronaut advantage of its excellent geo- Station is becoming the first world- scientists and citizens to fly in space, graphic location, scientific and en- class science and technology lab- for industry to develop new materi- gineering talent, its industrial base, oratory in space. Crews made up als and processes, and for universi- and political affinity with other of astronauts and cosmonauts have ties and scientific institutions to test space-faring nations, to make its been living aboard the station since basic theories of physical principles, contribution to space exploration. November 2000, and have opened in this unique environment. The political disease of globali- the era of permanent manned pres- It is time for Australia to get into sation, with its founding principle ence in space. space! that only activities that are “com- Armadas of unmanned spacecraft Australia was one of the first na- mercially” viable (that is, make a This artist’s rendering shows the HyShot hypersonic test payload, attached to its booster are already at, or will be heading tions in the world to be involved short-term profit) should be pur- rocket, leaving the Earth’s atmopshere. Photo: University of Queensland toward, Mars, for the rest of the in space technology, with the es- sued, has meant that Australia has decade, paving the way for manned tablishment of the Woomera test made little investment in space the end of the era of a zero-growth, vestment in the great infrastructure missions in the decades to come. range launch facility soon after the infrastructure, leaving such to the anti-technology, speculation- projects of the 21st century. And the Other unmanned probes are explor- end of the Second World War. Brit- “free market.” based monetary system, there is greatest great project facing man- ing the mysterious outer planets ish and American rockets, for the Now, with Australia, and most of the opportunity, and necessity, to kind is the exploration, and colo- of the Solar System. military development of ballistic the rest of the world, finally facing turn to an economic policy of in- nisation, of space. An Abandoned Early Start in Space uring the 1960s and 1970s, and France, then and still domi- its effort on trying Dmore than 2,000 American, Brit- nant in ESA’s rocket development to bring other na- ish, and European rockets were efforts, preferred a launch site in tions to use its po- launched from the Woomera Prohib- French Guyana at Kourou, to the tential launch sites ited Area. It was established in 1948 existing facility in Australia. as paying custom- as a military test range, encompass- Woomera, far from the equator, ers, at Woomera, Cape ing 127,000 square kilometers in was not the optimal launch site for York, and nearby the northwest part of the state of commercial satellites. In addition, Christmas Island. The South Australia, 500 kilometres for satellites that had to reach ge- commercial space from Adelaide. Woomera occupies ostationary orbit, launching from market was flourish- 13% of the land area of the whole Woomera would have meant flying in that period, and state. ing over populated areas of east- with the 1986 loss of The British government tested its ern Australia. In 1976, Britain fi- the Space Shuttle Black Knight and Blue Streak rock- nally announced its withdrawal Challenger, it was ets at Woomera, and the U.S. Red- from the test range, and operations clear more expend- stone rocket was used to test reentry at Woomera basically came to an able launch vehi- phenomena from the range. During end. cles would be need- the 1960s, suborbital sounding rock- It would have been quite possi- ed, worldwide, to ets, including the UK’s Skylark, and ble for Australia, in the mid-1970s, meet the need for NASA’s Aerobee, conducted early to develop a second launch facili- satellite communi- launch tests and experiments. The ty at Cape York, in Queensland, cations. tenth Redstone launch, on Novem- which is near the equator, at 12 But two commer- ber 1967, put the first Australian- degrees South latitude, and is cially-sponsored at- built satellite into orbit, the Weap- well-suited for launching commer- tempts in 1989, and Above Left: The blockhouse at the Woomera test range, where Australia first joined the space age. Engineers ons Research Establishment Satel- cial geostationary satellites. But 1991, to establish and launch directors took shelter inside the blockhouse during a test or launch, and watched the pad from a lite, (Wresat), which had been built this was not pursued aggressively launch services to periscope inside. Photo: Australian Space Research Institute at the University of Adelaide. by the government. low Earth orbit at In 1962, leading European na- In terms of significant govern- Woomera, failed. An attempt to cre- With great fanfare, in 1998 the munications, Internet, and other tions formed the European ment investment in space projects, ate a commercial launch site at Space Activities Bill was passed by “new economy” sectors have great- Launcher Development Organisa- Australia has suffered an hiatus of Cape York went bankrupt. the Parliament, but this was strictly ly reduced the need for new satel- tion (ELDO). Australia was a full more than two decades. Except for In 1994, the Australian Space to establish a regulatory framework lite systems. member, and ten ELDO Europa the relatively short period be- Council was established, to prom- for commercial space activities, But Australia does have devel- rockets were test flown from tween 1987 and 1996, Australia ulgate a five-year plan. Its major dealing with safety, licensing, and oped capabilitites in rocket devel- Woomera, from 1964, with the last has not had a central, federal gov- goal was to develop and launch two liaibility issues, for using foreign opment, Earth remote sensing, and one in June 1970. ernment agency for developing rockets for small satellites, and two rockets to launch satellites. participation in international space But Australia did not join in and carrying out a national, long- payloads. But the funding allocat- Current agreements, with U.S. and science programs, which is a foun- when Europe created the Europe- term space program, comparable ed was only A$9.3 million, and the Russian rocket companies to launch dation from which it can move an Space Agency in 1974 which to America’s NASA. proviso was that the projects had to satellites from Australia, may or may ahead to join the world space com- replaced ELDO, to carry out a Instead, since the mid-1980s, be commercially justified. The pro- not succeed, especially since the munity. broad range of space programs, the government has only focused gram was never implemented. past year’s collapse in the telecom- Where Australia Stands Today

ver the past 20 years, Austral- essor, allows images to be pro- flew on the American Pioneer-6 flows between 10 to 25 times the mitment from the Australian gov- Oia has developed capabilities duced from the ERS-1 radar data and 7 spacecraft, and in 1980, speed of sound, have been devel- ernment in June 2000 to contrib- in remote sensing of the Earth, in just two minutes, rather than Australia decided to develop a oped for this research. ute $52 million to the project, to ground-based astronomy, telecom- hours. This capability is especial- photon-counting detector for the Recently, the University of upgrade the transport and infra- munications, space biology and ly important for military surveil- Canadian-U.S. STARLAB ultra- Queensland has led the HyShot structure on the island. science, and hypersonic flight, lance, and in disaster relief situa- violet astronomy satellite. Al- program, to test a scramjet in The Russian government is in- along with a fledgling space in- tions. though STARLAB was cancelled flight, as a payload on a rocket. terested in Christmas Island due dustry, that could, with the proper While the Australian govern- by the Canadian government, it While a recent test was not suc- to its proximity to the equator, government investment, lay the ment has made only false starts at was decided to continue to devel- cessful, as a result of a failure in which allows heavier payloads to basis for an impressive contribu- developing an Australian rocket op the Australian Endeavour ul- the rocket launch and not the be launched into geostationary or- tion to international space explo- launch capability, enterprising en- traviolet space telescope. En- scramjet, the work is continuing. bit. It plans to launch its new Au- ration projects. gineering students at Monash Uni- deavour is the most sophisticated It will contribute to NASA’s Hy- rora vehicle from the Australian As a large nation, with much un- versity in Melbourne have devel- space payload ever built in Aus- per-X program, and similar inter- spaceport. The only crimp in this developed land, surrounded by oped, and flight tested, the AUS- tralia, and was flight-qualified national hypersonic flight re- plan is the contraction of commer- oceans, Australia has cultivated ROC series of suborbital sounding during its 1992 Shuttle mission. search projects. cial satellite launches over the past capabilities in the development of rockets. In 1999, the non-profit Two groups at the University of There is also movement afoot to year, due to the overall collapse sensors and data processing for Australian Space Research Insti- Sydney have also flown biomed- finally establish at least one of the of economies, in both the devel- Earth observation. The Australian tute in Adelaide proposed a 10-uni- ical experiments on board NASA’s commercial space launch facilities oping and industrialised nations. Centre for Remote Sensing re- versity AUSROC IV launcher, and Shuttle and the Russian Mir that Australia has been so well-suit- While the Australian govern- ceives images at its Alice Springs all of these amateur projects have spacecraft. One, led by Dr. ed for since the beginning of the ment has never made a serious station from a multitude of satel- helped create the technical exper- Leopold Distenfass, was the Ag- Space Age. commitment to implement a long- lites, and processed images are tise and experience for more am- gregation of Red Cells experi- After all of the false starts, at range, and wide-ranging space provided for mapping agencies in bitious ones. ment, which flew on a January Woomera and Cape York, the com- program, which would help devel- all capital cities. By the mid-1980s, experts in the 1985 Shuttle mission. The results, mitment by the Russian govern- op the educational, industrial, and Australian scientists and engi- Australian scientific community which allowed discrimination be- ment, through its Aviation and scientific capabilities of the na- neers have been involved in the were anxious to take advantage of tween healthy and diseased blood, Space Agency and its rocket- tion, there is a lot to build on. development of remote sensing the new manned, U.S. Space Shut- was considered so important by building industrial enterprises, In his Foreword to a 1993 book scanners since the 1980s, and con- tle capability, and began to design NASA, that the experiment flew may indeed finally result in a titled, Space Australia, Dr. Paul tributed the Digital Electronics experiments, and lobby the gov- again in 1988. launch site on Christmas Island. Scully-Power, the first Australian- Unit for one of the instruments ernment for the funding, to partic- Australia has also been a leader An international consortium, born person to fly in space, stated aboard the European ERS-1 satel- ipate. in hypersonic flight research, dat- termed the Asia Pacific Space Cen- that Australia has a great space her- lite, which was launched in 1991. Early on, Australian scientist ing back to the days at the tre, which includes participation itage. “The challenge now,” he An Australian-designed super- Ken McCracken had designed one Woomera test range. Unique hy- from Australian and South Korean wrote, “is to take the next step. Let computer, the Fast Delivery Proc- of the cosmic ray detectors that personic wind tunnels, with air- private investors, garnered a com- it not be another lost opportunity.” The New Citizen April 2006 Page 37 The Infrastructure Road to Recovery Conquering Space

Interview with Andy Thomas

ustralian-born astronaut to the ground and refurbish it. On AAndy Thomas has made two a satellite it stays up there if it flights on the Space Shuttle, and works or not. If it doesn’t work spent 130 days on the Russian on a space station, you bring it Mir station. Dr. Thomas, a PhD. back and fix it. Those are decid- in mechanical engineering from ed advantages for doing remote the University of Adelaide, has sensing, not just for Australia, but given many public lectures in for anybody, on the space station. Australia, and has been an out- If Australia was to do it, they spoken advocate for Australia to would have a device that would join the international communi- be applicable not just to Austral- ty in its manned space programs. ia, and they would be able to do Dr. Thomas was asked to provide collaborative ventures with oth- his ideas on the future opportuni- er countries, to use the same data ties for Australia in space before the sources that they generate. International Space Advisory Group, in the Summer of 2001. The Q: Beside remote sensing, Group is chaired by Australian- what other areas could Australia born former Space Shuttle payload participate in? specialist Dr. Paul Scully-Power. Thomas: In all of the areas of Dr. Thomas was interviewed in research that goes on on the space Above: Australian-born astronaut Dr. Andy the United States by Marsha Free- station, which are life sciences, Thomas has been an outspoken promoter man on November 7, 2001. microgravity science, and basic of Australia to join the International Space Station. He has flown on two Space Shuttle physics and so on, Australia has missions, and spent 130 days on the Rus- Q: What were your recommen- the educational capacity to con- sian Mir space station. Photo: NASA dations to the International Space tribute to any of those. There are Above Right: In this photograph, taken Advisory Group? investigators that have the skills aboard Mir, Andy Thomas is taking a sam- Thomas: My role was to give and knowledge to be active prin- ple for the Microbial Collection Device which them some ideas, particularly cipal investigators in any of those monitors the safety of the water on the sta- about possible involvement in fields. tion. Photo: NASA the International Space Station. Life sciences is one that comes Below Right: When 600 million people We were talking about a poten- to mind, because Australia does watched Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin tial landing site for the X-38 ve- walk on the Moon in July 1969, the images have a very strong medical com- they were seeing were received by this ra- hicle, and a landing site for a crew munity and there is a lot of inter- dio telescope at the Parkes Observatory, return vehicle for the space sta- est in medical issues that you face relayed to NASA, and televised all over the tion, should it evolve from the ex- in long-duration space flight as it world. Photo: Parkes Observatory perimental X-38, because Austral- applies to people on the ground, ia is a big, wide open space that so Australia could certainly help which has applications, for exam- is easy to hit with a crew return out there. ple, to submarines. Well, Austral- vehicle. It is very attractive for a I believe they did have a mini- ia is building a fleet of submarines landing site. workshop in August 2001 to ad- for itself, and that life support dress that issue, which had some technology has immediate appli- Q: Which areas of Australia participation from people at cation there. It also has applica- would be considered to be appro- NASA. They were looking at life tion in the refurbishment and priate for such a landing site? sciences issues, and defining are- maintenance of commercial air- Thomas: There are actually a as where Australia could be in- craft, which is a big business in number of possible landing sites, volved. Australia because it’s attractive, but the most probable is a test In microgravity sciences there financially. range in the northern part of are the basic skills in the universi- If Australia provided communi- South Australia called Woomera. ties. There are the skills in basic cations systems for a station mod- I think it would certainly be physics, in remote sensing. In any ule, that would also have applica- very much in the Australian Gov- of those areas, Australia could do tions to systems for military vehi- ernment’s interest to do that, to collaborative science, and I made cles, as well as commercial vehi- support the infrastructure, be- a big push for them to do that. I cles on the ground. cause it is a very unique test range. think it would be very much in the If Australia had a full-time sup- country’s best interest because port capability for an emergency Q: In what way? you leverage the resources and landing site for the space station Thomas: It’s got good geogra- start getting a community of edu- crew return vehicle, which is an- phy, good topography, the cli- cated people building up in the other option, Australia would re- mate is very stable and usually, society. quire search and rescue capabili- multiple organisations trying to Q: There is, very often, a dis- very good. It’s very isolated and You develop very unique ad- ty and special medical vehicles, it’s very large. It’s not overflown do things. You’d have someone connect between the political vanced skills. They may not stay and things like that, to be de- clearly in charge, and I think that leadership of a country and the by a lot of commercial aircraft, it’s in the space program, but those ployed in the event of an emer- not on the jet routes, and that is very important. kinds of programs that would be skills diffuse into the community gency on the space station. supported by the citizens of that makes it very desirable. There are and after 10 years you start to see But those resources would be not many places in the western Q: Why has it been so difficult country. What kind of response do them paying dividends in other available to Australia in times of to establish a centralised space you get when you give talks about world that offer that kind of re- areas, in other innovative technol- national need. It wouldn’t be source. agency? space in Australia? ogies, start-up companies, and ven- something that would be sitting Thomas: There have been at- Thomas: I’ve generally found ture funds and all kinds of things. there gathering dust, it could be tempts to do that in the past, but the reception from the people I Q: Australia already has a large That’s where the big payoff would functioning, supporting the com- program in Earth remote sensing, space and those really long-term talk to, the man in the street, so to be for Australia, aside from the fact munities in the remote areas of investments in research are not speak, as well as educated lay per- being one of the large, somewhat that doing these things enriches Australia, at the same time that it undeveloped countries. Could part of the Australian culture. Tra- sons, has been extremely positive the community just in its own is on call to support the space sta- ditionally, Australia doesn’t do about human space flight and be- that expertise be applied to re- right. People find it exciting and tion. That’s the approach that I search on the International Space that. They fund more near-term ing involved. There’s great excite- that’s enough justification in its took in my briefing. I said that all things. ment there. For young people, of Station? own right to do it. of these things are not something Thomas: That was one of the Australia has had, in fairness to course, that’s undeniably true, but that are done in isolation, just to the political leaders, some eco- it’s not just young people, it’s also things I also suggested. That is Q: It would seem that Australia support the space program. They an area where Australia could do nomic problems that required pret- the people at large. I think some could also develop modest pieces all have application to the needs ty immediate action, so there of that has been picked up on by something with the space station of hardware for the space station, of the country. In that sense, you which would provide a capabili- hasn’t been the sources to do this. the political leaders, too. as any even small involvement is are enriching the capabilities of I am of the opinion that the world I had the great privilege to ad- ty that would be unique for Aus- a foot in the door into this interna- the country by doing these things tralia, in resource management, is changing and the 21st Century dress the Australian Federal Cabi- tional effort. because you are gaining access to will be a world of very sophisti- net in July [made up of] the vari- sensing of geography of the land, Thomas: I suggested develop- the technologies and capabilities sensing of the surrounding cated technologies, and certainly ous ministers who report to the ing flight hardware of some kind that you would not otherwise remote sensing has suddenly be- Prime Minister. That was a great oceans, for ecological and re- to support the space station. I don’t have. source management, and environ- come of a whole new importance honour. I briefed them about the think Australia is fiscally in a po- since September 11. space station and about Austral- mental management. I think that sition to develop a module. How- Q: Is it correct that at this point, would be very useful for Austral- I think you have to look and see ia’s unique capabilities by virtue ever, it could easily develop com- there is no Australian space office, what will be the values of the 21st of its geography, which includes ia to do that. The question you ponents of modules for another or agency comparable to NASA? have to address is, are you best Century world. They’re going to Christmas Island and Woomera, agency, such as the European Thomas: That is correct. I made be in high technology systems, re- and I made a big push for Austral- off doing that on a space station, Space Agency or the Canadians. a push for that. I thought that with on a human-tended vehicle, or a search and development, of which ia to get involved in these activi- There are a lot of collaborative op- the various activities that Austral- one element is space-based activ- ties, because I think there will be free-flyer? portunities, where Australia has ia could participate in, either The conventional answer is ities. a significant economic benefit to the technology skills to do it. through ISS or through the I think if any country is going the country in years to come. that a free-flyer is the best way to When I suggest that, the ques- Woomera test range, or the work go, but I made the point that that to be a player on the world stage, It won’t be a near-term econom- tion I get is, “Why should Austral- going on at Christmas Island an active participant on the world ic gain; these things never are, doesn’t account for the fact that ia develop something to support a [launch site], that Australia did if you do it on a space station, stage, and therefore, an active play- they are a long-term economic space station module? What does need to have a focused, central- er in the world economy, then that gain. But I think Australia is well you have a person in the loop and Australia get out of it?” ised space office which would re- can make real-time decisions, country needs to embrace those positioned to be a participant in Australia would actually get a port to a cabinet minister at a high values, and that is the message I those because it has a good tech- you can modify your instrument, lot. For example, if Australia de- level, and have a clearly defined you can fix your instrument if try to give to Australia when I nology infrastructure, it has a veloped a life support system for a mandate and budget and goals. make my speeches. That is some- good education system, it has a there is a problem with it, and you space station module, Australia That would avoid some of the can bring your instrument back thing Australian political leaders good R&D base, it’s very stable would get all that technology, turf battles you get when you have need to do. politically, and it is an English- Page 38 The New Citizen April 2006

The Infrastructure Road to Recovery Conquering Space speaking country, and these are all exploration, in particular, is in ad- definite advantages, and pluses in vancing the quality of education why Australia should get involved in society. in some of these things. Thomas: That’s true, and if you look at what NASA has done over Q: One would think that there many years, there’s been a huge is great interest in manned space contribution that NASA spending programs in Australia, since it has has made within the university sys- had two astronauts that have flown tem of this country. It’s just huge. in space. An unbelievable amount of the Thomas: That does need to be work that goes on in flying the clarified a bit. [The two of us] got Shuttle, in developing the pay- our start in Australia, but we do not loads and the systems, believe it represent Australia in any way. or not, a large part is done by grad- Paul Scully-Power was a payload uate students earning their degrees. specialist as an oceanographer. In Those graduate students may not fact, he was not an astronaut. He stay in the space program, but they was an oceanographer who did not get a specialised skill which they represent Australia, but flew as a take out into the community and U.S. citizen. I flew as a U.S. citizen that enriches the community in on my first flight. I subsequently other areas. had my Australian citizenship re- That was one of the pushes I activated because they changed made with the Australian govern- the laws there, so I also do fly as an ment, that if you do these things, Australian citizen, but I don’t rep- you put value-added into the com- resent Australia formally. It’s an munity which, I think, is impossi- informal representation by virtue ble to quantify, but is profound. of my heritage. You change the nature of your so- That’s a point I make when I’m ciety in a very positive way for the in Australia, because a lot of peo- next 20 years. It’s an unbelievable ple say, “Why should we get in- effect these things have. That’s the volved in space? We’ve had Andy intangible part. Thomas as an astronaut, we’ve It’s a very hard sell to political gotten an Australian citizen into leaders because they have to justi- Above Left: The first Australian-built satel- space, we’ve had Scully-Power as lite, Wresat, was launched from Woomera fy the return to their constituency, in 1967. (Photo: Australian Space Research Institute) a payload specialist, what more and it’s hard when people are un- Above Right: The AUSROC-1 project was should we do?” employed, and so on, to get them started in 1988 by undergraduate students The fact of the matter is none of to think that they need to worry in Mechanical Engineering at Monash Uni- these was formally linked with about the legacy they are going to versity. Here they are readying the rocket Australia. Australia does not have leave for their grandchildren. on a rail. AUSROC-1 was successfully a formal role in human space flight. That’s been the fundamental is- launched on Feb. 9, 1989, and reached 3 sue within Australian social struc- kilometres in a one-minute flight. (Photo: Aus- Q: This is similar to the case of tures; that its been very hard to get tralia Space Research Institute.) Costa-Rican-born Franklin-Chang Right: The HyShot payload is set to undergo people to think because there are shake testing, in this photograph, to make Diaz, who is an American astronaut, more near-term issues that have to sure it can withstand the rigors of launch. but has played an important role be addressed, but I think that’s Left to right are Dr. Susan Anderson, Joe in trying to promote more involve- changing. Gisa, Dr. Hans Alesi, and Dr. Allan Paull. ment in space exploration in Cen- When I briefed the Federal Cab- (Photo: University of Queensland) tral and South America, and in inet about the space station, they Costa Rica he is one of the best were of the opinion they could only However, I’m hoping that after the ly build up that capabilitiy. Start Southeast Asia, and especially In- known people in the country. be involved in it if they commit- election campaign we will see steps developing, perhaps, flight hard- donesia, and that’s the big cultural Thomas: Yes, you don’t have a ted hundreds of millions of dol- in this direction. ware as a collaborative venture paradigm that is changing in Aus- formal role, but there is an infor- lars. That’s true, if you want be a A thrust for both political par- with the major [space] agencies, to tralia. I think that’s all the more rea- mal role and that is undeniable. full-up active partner. ties for this election has been on develop your credibility and ca- son why Australia should be in- The reception that my flights have However, you don’t have to do improving education and research pability, and then slowly build up volved in these space activities, gotten in Australia has certainly that. You can be a participant in and development. I think it is gen- to the point where you can build because those nations are going to been consistent with that, and it the science programs, for example, erally being recognised that Aus- flight hardware that specifically be looking for representation in has been extremely complimenta- by just spending some millions of tralia has languished in those are- serves Australia’s needs and can be human space flight and in launch ry to have people there be so ex- dollars in research and develop- as in the last 20-odd years, that the funded at a level that is appropri- capability, and Australia can do that. cited by what I’ve done. But I do ment programs that would, for ex- quality of education in universi- ate for Australia. That’s the way have to reaffirm that Australia is ample, be done collaboratively ties has fallen, and there is no doubt you do it. Q: What do you see for Austral- not actually formally involved. with investigators here. By doing that it has, unfortunately. Brazil’s doing that. I think Aus- ia’s role in space, further in the fu- that, you access all the other re- Class size is bigger, teaching tralia should, too. Look at Cana- ture? Q: To accomplish the kinds of search and development that’s go- loads have become larger, pupil- da. That’s an example of a British Thomas: There is going to be a goals you are recommending for ing, so you lever your small invest- teacher ratios have gone up, with Commonwealth country. It’s larg- great human adventure of the 21st Australia, there would have to be a ment. You get a lot more for it than fewer and fewer teachers in univer- er than Australia, in population, but century, and that is going to be a government policy to do so. Would you might otherwise. sities. It is generally recognised it is a big, wide open space. Cana- trip to Mars. I think one hundred that be part of a larger orientation that Australia is paying a price for da, of course, has the great advan- years from now, historians will look of the government towards research Q: When you discuss Australian this, by virtue of the fact that right tage of being next door to the main back and say that the big explora- and development programs? participation in the International now the Australian dollar is about customer, and Australia’s not. tion of the 21st Century was a hu- Thomas: That is the big issue. Space Station, does anyone bring 51 U.S. cents. But I don’t think in this 21st man exploration of Mars. I would The big push I’ve tried to make is up the fact that Brazil is making a It was nearly on a par with the Century that we can argue that dis- love to see some part of that mis- to get the government to think significant contribution to the U.S. dollar 20 years ago, but that’s tance is an issue any more, because sion have an Australian contribu- about these kinds of activities, that space station program? changed now. To a very large ex- it’s not. I think collaborative vention. are really part of a bigger research, Thomas: I bring that up all the tent Australia’s economy, which is tures are now very viable. I would It’s probably not realistic to have development, and technology time. I use Brazil as an example. I a service economy, it serves the certainly like to see it happen. an Australian crew person fly on plan that I think governments do point out, as I’ve done with the economies of the rest of the world, that mission, unless there was a need to follow through with. You Prime Minister’s Chief Scientist, doesn’t do a lot of value added in Q: There is a tremendous eco- huge investment, which probably have to make an investment in the that Brazil is spending this money its own right. When you don’t nomic reorientation now through- is not viable. But Australia could future, in research and develop- on the space station and has got have research, and you don’t have out Asia as a whole, with a series certainly develop some of the hard- ment. You have to make an invest- an astronaut here [at NASA’s John- education, that’s the inevitable of very large infrastructure ware for that mission and when that ment for your grandchildren. son Space Centre in Houston]. outcome. You have a 50-cent-on- projects underway, including the mission goes, just imagine how You can’t run an economy just They are trying to show the the-dollar economy. building of new rail connections excited the people of Australia looking at what is going to be the world that they have these capa- If you want to change that, you’re to form a Eurasian landbridge, cre- would be to say, “That mission is return in the next election cycle, bilities, and that they are a player not going to do that overnight with ating development corridors happening because we’ve got this because some things take longer on the world stage. They want some political policy. It’s going to throughout Asia. Over the last year, device that we built. We actually to develop than that. countries to come to them to take a huge shift in the values of many Asian countries have real- contributed to that mission.” If the United States had worked launch vehicles because they have the society, and the promotion of ised that their dependence upon on just trying to get a return before a geography that’s ideally suited innovation. The way you do that the United States to import their Marsha Freeman is currently As- the next election, we would not for launching vehicles. By being a is through education and research goods is on shaky ground. sociate Editor of 21st Century Sci- have all the computers and the In- player in this activity they are and development. These countries are looking at ence & Technology magazine. She ternet, and all the capabilities we bringing that business, potential- what large-scale infrastructure has been a science writer for twen- have, because they have taken ly, into their country. Q: There are certainly many av- projects must be implemented, and ty years, specialising in space ex- many, many years to develop. They I make the point that Australia is enues Australia can take to partici- Australia is sitting nearby with in- ploration, advanced energy tech- take a stable policy of research and exactly the same. It has the same pate in the space station. What path- dustrial and other capabilities. nology, and science policy. She development that is bipartisan in kind of geography for launch ve- way would you recommend? Thomas: I agree with that. I has testified before the U.S. Con- support and is agreed upon by eve- hicles, and it would be very much Thomas: I think Australia could think that’s the big cultural shift gress on issues in science and tech- ryone as being in the country’s na- in Australia’s interest to follow the get to the point where it flies an that Australia is facing, and has nology, has been an invited lec- tional interest. Brazilian paradigm and start get- experiment on the space station. I been facing over the last 20 years turer at NASA and international Politicians tend not to be fo- ting involved. don’t think it would be right to or so, which is to come to recog- conferences, and is cited in Who’s cused on something that’s beyond I think there’s a large school of just, overnight, spend hundreds of nise that Australia is in fact part of Who in American Women. their own election horizon. That is thought there that this is a valid millions of dollars. The plans I’ve the Pacific nations. Australia tra- Freeman is the author of How something that political leaders message. proposed to the chief defence sci- ditionally was part of the British We Got to the Moon: The Story of need to get away from. This year [2001] is an election entist were to move cautiously on Commonwealth, but really Austral- the German Space Pioneers, pub- year. I think neither of the politi- this. ia’s role in the world today doesn’t lished by 21st Century in 1993; Q: One very important long- cal parties were willing to step up Start with a modest investment lie with Europe or even, for that and Challenges of Human Space term benefit from investment in re- to this kind of high-risk vision, in research and development and matter, with the United States. Exploration, published by Prax- search and development, and space during an election campaign. some collaborative science. Slow- It’s going to lie primarily with is-Springer in 2000. The New Citizen April 2006 Page 39 The Infrastructure Road to Recovery— Let’s Build Our Way Out of the Depression! Rebuild the Health System! by Noelene Isherwood

n October 31, 2001, 91-year- tal emergency ward, with Mary of their lives.” Oold Mary Wilkinson died screaming and tearing the band- Just four days earlier across the from an assault she suffered while ages off her head, and Val yelling nation in Perth, a senior medical in a federally accredited aged care for help. Mary died six agonising official at Sir Charles Gairdner institution in Victoria. In the days later. Hospital expressed profound an- months before, she had been sexu- On November 8, Val spent much guish over a similar tragedy. As really assaulted, and, like others at of her inheritance from her belov- ported in The Sunday Times of the institution, lived with the con- ed mother to place an advertise- Western Australia of November 4, stant fear of violence from other ment in The Age, to send a public 2001, he had just apologised to the residents suffering from dementia. message to Prime Minister John family of an elderly woman who Throughout 2000-2001, Mary’s Howard. The ad by “Mary’s daugh- died alone after spending 16 hours daughter Val Wilkinson wrote re- ter” called upon all political lead- in a corridor on a hospital trolley. peated letters and made numerous ers to pledge that all Australia’s He asked: “Do people die on trol- complaints to the nursing home elderly would get the care, protec- leys waiting for beds? Of course it CEO and nursing authorities, tion and dignified departure they happens. You can’t avoid it when about the conditions at the insti- deserve. Mary’s nursing home, af- there are that number of people tution. Concerned nurses gave her ter all, was one of the “better” Vic- who are waiting that length of time names of relevant officials to write torian nursing homes, not one of when they come in for an emer- to, as well. Then, one night in Oc- the 46 aged care homes which had gency…. The position we are in is tober 2001, an aggressive, physi- been rated as being in a critical or a completely unresolvable posi- cally fit male dementia patient unacceptable condition during the tion morally. Initially, you get an- who was trying to enter Mary’s previous 13 months. Val wrote, gry about it. You move heaven and room, threw her to the floor as she “For one of Australia’s Wise Elders earth to get these people out. You attempted to leave her room. The to end their life as my mum did, fight with people. You complain nurses heard Mary’s head crack on prematurely, in terror and pain, and you send letters. Then you the floor from the other end of the shames us all.… It shames every start accepting that it’s normal, but it’s not normal. It’s wrong and it’s The CEC has long fought against the Nazi-style denial of health care which has become corridor. Three nurses and one politician and every Australian, all commonplace in our nation today. trainee—all the help available in of us who have cared too little really difficult to live with your- the understaffed facility—could about how those who gallantly self—to compromise to the extent number of people have said vember 4, Sunday Times, “Unoffi- not move the male patient, and it gave us our safety, who toiled to that you put up with it even though around the lunch table that if there cially, plans have been discussed was only when the ambulance driv- give us our wealth and who gener- you know it’s wrong…. It’s like the was a major disaster in Perth we to erect tents for times when all er arrived, that they could begin to ously gave us their wisdom—our third world.… We struggle to deal would melt down.” three major Perth hospitals are assist Mary. Mary and Val then Wise Elders—are cared for, loved, with an extra five patients, let alone The meltdown is already under- forced to turn ambulances away.” spent five hours of hell in a hospi- respected and honoured at the end another 150 from a train crash. A way, as also reported by the No- A Collapsing System he equitable provision Tof quality health care is Graph 1 Number of Public Hospitals Graph 2 truly the measure of any na- compared with Australia's population Hospital Beds per 1000 Population 8.3 tion. If we are to take up the 20 extraordinary nation-build- 2400 7.8 ing challenges outlined in 2200 18 this report, we must have a 2000 16 7.3 healthy, happy, optimistic 1800 population, with a govern- 14 6.8 ment committed to the com- 1600 12 6.3 mon good of all. Neither the 1400 10 former, nor the latter, is now 1200 5.8 the case. 1000 8 As anyone can attest who 5.3 800 6 has visited a public (or pri- 4.8 600 vate) hospital recently, par- Beds Per Thousand Population 4 ticularly its emergency de- 400 4.3 2 partment, our hospitals are 200 3.8 in a desperate state of crisis, 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 0 0 as the following series of 1940 1945 1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 graphs illustrate. Public and Private Beds Public, Private and Psychiatricc Beds The crisis runs across all Number of Hospitals Population (millions) Source: Australian Year Books, Australian Bureau of Statistics. Commonwealth Department of Health. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. sectors of the health care in- Source: Australian Year Books, Australian Bureau of Statistics. Commonwealth Department of Health. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. dustry, striking those who provide the care, as well as The number of public hospitals is now the same as what Australia had in 1960, and is therefore The basic measure of public health adequacy, the number of hospital beds per 1000 population, those who need it. You have grossly inadequate for the size of our population, which has almost doubled since then. has plummeted under the last two decades of economic rationalism. only to pick up the newspaper in almost any city on any Graph 3 Graph 4 given day, to see its mani- Number of Public Hospital Beds Number of Public Psychiatric Hospital Beds festations: soaring waiting 80,000 lists; emergency wards on 35000 7000 near-constant ambulance 75,000 bypass; exhausted doctors 30000 6000 and nurses quitting the sys- 70,000 25000 5000 tem altogether; a rural sec- 65,000 tor where avoidable deaths are 40% higher even than in 60,000 20000 4000 the cities, because there are 55,000 so few medical facilities and 15000 3000 medical personnel; an utter-

50,000 Population per Bed Number of Beds ly inadequate aged care sys- 10000 2000 Number of Beds tem which is forced to treat 45,000 its patients in an inhuman 5000 1000 fashion; and patients—as 40,000 well as medical personnel— 35,000 0 0 dying needlessly, murdered 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 by a grossly-underfunded, understaffed system. Number of Public Hospital Beds Number of Public Psychiatric Beds Population per Bed

Already in 1997, the larg- Source: Australian Year Books, Australian Bureau of Statistics. Commonwealth Department of Health. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. est gathering of general Source: Australian Year Books, Australian Bureau of Statistics. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. practitioners in Australian Australia now has the same number of public hospital beds as it had in 1955. The real collapse While Australia’s mental health has declined precipitously since the 1960s, which would history, meeting in Sydney, in beds began with the economic rationalist Hawke-Keating regime beginning 1983, policies require more psychiatric hospitals and beds, the number of psychiatric beds has collapsed, called for a royal commis- continued by the Coalition down from 2.8 per 1000 in 1965, to less than 0.2 per 1000 today. sion into the state of health care. Cuts to medical care case of Dr. James McIntosh duty again. His father, Ted, had to sack some doctors or even to eat. It was too sure of emergency medicine, were killing people, Dr. Lind- of Hornsby Hospital, NSW, said that his son, a talented and said it wouldn’t be long much. I still can’t believe it and poor morale—all deriv- say Gazal told the confer- who killed himself at age 33, musician and athlete, had before it was someone else happened.” According to a ing from budget cuts. ence, and the general situa- by running barefoot into the begun to question why he sacking him. He was obvi- government-sponsored re- Even Blind Freddie can tion has since deteriorated path of a train near his home. had gone into medicine. “In ously depressed.” Said his port released in May 1997, see that there is a devastat- even more. Said his mother, Beris, a GP, the week he died, he rang wife, “He was suffering from over the previous five years ing crisis in health care. The A marker for just how in- her son would frequently and said he was wondering absolute exhaustion—he at least 21 doctors killed question is, “How did it get human the system had be- work 36 hours, have four what he would do in 10 didn’t have time to play his themselves in NSW, due to this way, and how do we fix come, even by then, was the hours off, and go back on years time,” Ted said. “He’d music, to relax, to exercise, extreme working hours, pres- it?” Page 40 The New Citizen April 2006 The Infrastructure Road to Recovery Health Care

Health Care and the Common Good igh quality health care is a order to obtain the necessary pow- Huniversal right, which is in- ers over social welfare matters— herent in the notion of the “com- one of the few times a referendum mon good”, the purpose for which has been successful in this coun- nation-states were founded. The try. This referendum later gave the commitment to the common good Whitlam Labor Government in was the underlying philosophy of 1974 the power to finally introduce the old Labor Party in Australia, as a truly national universal health stated by one of its founders, Aus- scheme, Medibank. tralia’s greatest trade union organ- Although Curtin’s referendum iser, William Guthrie Spence: was successful, progress was slow. “The welfare of the people must In 1945, after Ben Chifley became be raised to the first place—must Prime Minister, the federal govern- be the uppermost and foremost ment passed the Commonwealth consideration. How best to secure Hospital Benefits Act and began the good of all without injury to funding the states for each patient any should be the aim—not com- occupying a bed in a public or pri- mercial supremacy, not cheap pro- vate hospital. In 1948, Chifley in- duction regardless of the human troduced a comprehensive Nation- misery following, but rather the al Health Act, which he described broadest justice, the widest exten- as “a charter of national health for sion of human happiness, and the the future.” The legislation envis- attainment of the highest intellec- aged the possible nationalisation tual and moral standard of civilised of hospitals, along with govern- nations should be our aim.” ment provision of laboratories, This “welfare of the people” for health centres and clinics, as well old Labor self-evidently included as a Medical Benefit Scheme un- quality health care for all. One of der which the Government would the first acts of a Federal Labor pay direct to doctors one half of government around 1910 was the the patients’ medical fees, subject introduction of the invalid pension to fee limitation by participating © Bateup 2001, Published in Adelaide Advertiser Dec 17, 2001 scheme, coupled with the old age doctors. Before it could pass the pension program. At the same time, bill, Chifley’s government fell. passed the Aged Persons’ Homes came and went with Gough Whit- ed either by bulk billing (the pre- the Minister of Health of NSW’s Labor had greater success in Act in 1954 to expand aged care. ferred option), or the patient paid Labor government, Fred Flowers, lam (1972-1975). One of Whit- Queensland, when in 1944, the Within less than a decade there lam’s most controversial policies, the doctor and then collected 85% told the Sydney Morning Herald state government took complete were 2.3 nursing home beds per of the fee from the Medibank of- of March 11, 1911, “Any ideas that second only to his determination control over the hospitals, the pub- 1000 of population, and by 1971 to “buy back the farm”, was his fices. the hospitals are to be regarded as lic health and mental health, and there were 3.7 per 1000, giving plan to introduce Medibank, the The Medibank legislation was charitable institutions is altogeth- became the first and only state to Australia the greatest number of first truly universal health care sys- eventually passed in August 1974 er erroneous. Hospitals are a ne- provide completely free, govern- nursing home beds per head of after Labor’s reelection, but barely cessity of civilisation and the gov- tem. This legislation was cited as ment funded universal health care. population in the world. In addi- one of the grounds for the double had time to become operational ernment should see to their upkeep In the twenty-three years of Lib- tion the anti-polio vaccine first tri- before Whitlam was dumped by the and control. Hospitals should be dissolution of Parliament on April eral/Country Party federal govern- aled in America was being locally 10, 1974. Crown, through Governor-General as free as the Art Gallery and Pub- ment which followed Chifley, de- produced in Australia by the end Medibank was anathema to the Sir John Kerr, on November 11, lic Library … and there should be spite a general shift away from of 1955 and supplied to the States free-traders. It eliminated the 1975.1 no taint of pauperism.” Government funding, some free of charge for a nation-wide Under the next government, It was with the election of John means test for hospital treatment progress in health care was still vaccination program. Australia and provided standard ward ac- headed up by Malcolm Fraser, Curtin as Labor Prime Minister in made, particularly under Minister also had one of the highest ratios health policy was dictated by eco- 1941, though, that progress was commodation for free; provided of Health and Country Party lead- of public hospital beds per 1000 free outpatient treatment; provid- nomic considerations and a desire made towards a national system of er Sir Earle Page, a surgeon-turned- population in the world (6.5 as of ed salaries for all doctors provid- to shift health expenditure back to universal health care. Curtin was politician. He introduced the free 1980), higher even than the Unit- ing care to public patients (ending the private sector. Fraser’s Jamison committed to a national health school milk scheme to improve ed States, whose postwar Hill-Bur- Inquiry into “hospital efficiency” service which, like education, the earlier honorary system, where nutrition, as well as a Pensioner ton Act mandated a ratio of at least doctors received fees from private helped to introduce the use of would be free to all members of Medical Service which gave aged, 5.0 to 1000. “business methods” in the health the community. Faced with oppo- patients, and donated their servic- invalid, widows and service pen- The last effort by government to es to the public system); and cov- care industry. Under economic ra- sition from the conservative par- sioners and their dependents free uphold the old Labor ideal of ered 85% of all medical bills by tionalists Hawke and Keating, it ties and the medical profession, he medical treatment by a general health care as an inalienable part soon got much worse. called and won a referendum in the government, with the 15% bal- practitioner. The Coalition also of the “common good”, however, ance insurable. Fees were collect- The Queen of Economic Rationalism—the Mont Pelerin Society n a speech at the University of vides better health care, but often INew South Wales on March 19, doesn’t), and a decrepit public In their obsessive drive to offload 1999, former Labor Prime Minis- health system for everyone else. the responsibility of health care, and ter Paul Keating bragged that, What had happened to “old Labor’s” to leave it to the “magic” market “Some of us in the Labor Govern- precious notion of the common place, the Howard government went ment, including Bob Hawke and good? all out to force people into lifetime me, came to office with a greater In 1975, the same year Whitlam private health insurance cover, cul- belief in markets than our conserv- was dumped, apostles of the Lon- minating in the 1999 introduction ative counterparts.” Keating ac- don-headquartered Mont Pelerin of a 30 per cent rebate of premiums knowledged that the extensive “re- Society (MPS), such as the notori- for all members. forms” which he and his predeces- ous right-wing ideologue Milton In a media release from June 9, sor Bob Hawke had initiated, “went Friedman, began arriving in Austral- 1999, Prof. Fran Baum, President of against the grain of ingrained be- ia. The MPS had been set up at a the Public Health Association not- liefs and philosophy” of old Labor. meeting in 1947 on the slopes of ed, “That’s about enough to cover “Moreover,” Keating boasted, “we Mont Pelerin Switzerland, attend- the state government funding of a did this in spades, in areas like aban- ed by members and retainers of the medium size public hospital like the doning control over the exchange old European oligarchical families. New Children’s Hospital in Sydney rate for the long term good; giving Its purpose was to initiate a conserv- for a year. The government is effec- banks the power to create credit at ative revolution, to “roll back the The three stooges of economic rationalism. (AAP Image/Julian Smith) tively handing the private funds a book of blank cheques underwrit- the expense of building societies clock” to the era before nation- and everything to which it had giv- Hawke and Keating had left off. Led and credit unions; letting foreign states, when the oligarchy reigned en rise, such as universal public ten by the taxpayer.” The $1.6 bil- by Howard himself, the Coalition lion a year going to the private health banks take market share from our supreme. The MPS shortly thereaf- education, universal health care, Cabinet was a nest of members and own banking system; cutting the ter moved to the City of London, to trade unions, publicly-owned infra- insurance industry is equal to 15% co-thinkers of Mont Pelerin fronts, of the total spent by federal and state top personal rate of tax; putting an become the chief economic warfare structure, etc. Through a process including H.R. Nicholls Society assets test on the age pension; set- unit of the British Crown, in the which we have detailed elsewhere, governments on our public hospi- members, Treasurer Peter Costello, tals and health care systems annu- ting up competition to Telstra; sell- same way that the British Empire after the sacking of Whitlam the Minister of Defence Ian McLach- ing the Commonwealth Bank and had always used “free trade” to dec- MPS fronts took over both major ally while profits of private health lan, and Industrial Relations Min- insurance funds rose 172% to a Qantas; reforming the waterfront.” imate its enemies. As its members parties, the Liberals and Labor. ister, Peter Reith, and IPA members, By the time Keating left office, he have frequently bragged, the MPS Thus, when Labor came to power record $343 million for 2000. Deputy Treasurer Rod Kemp and In a collapsing system, even pri- was openly promoting the disastrous was the author of “Thatcherism”, under Hawke-Keating in 1983, it es- Education and Employment Min- American model of Managed Health and such Thatcherite experiments poused values directly opposite to vate health insurance is no guaran- ister Dr. David Kemp. tee of actually receiving prompt Care as desirable for Australia. as that inflicted on hapless, now- those upon which it had been Sure enough, this crowd went af- 3 treatment, as a journalist for The Age, Hawke and Keating quickly re- ruined New Zealand beginning in founded. ter health care. In Costello’s first placed Medibank with the health the 1980s.2 A revolution took place in the Carolyn Jones, bitterly commented budget he slashed health care by in a column on August 30, 2001, insurance scheme, Medicare, on In both Australia and in New Zea- Liberal Party as well, in which any $3.4 billion. He got the ball rolling February 1, 1984. Unlike Medibank, land, the MPS set up or took over a Liberals (or Nationals) maintaining after her mother, whose ambulance on expanded private health insur- had been put on hospital by-pass, which was funded entirely from gen- series of right-wing think tanks, a concern for the role of government ance by arranging a “rebate” for his eral revenue, Medicare was financed such as the Centre for Independent in fostering the common good were then spent 48 hours in the emergen- friends in the industry of $1.7 bil- cy department of a private hospital by a general tax/levy. This change, Studies (CIS), the Institute for Pub- disparaged as “wets”, and were lion, and then slashed almost an- in the context of Hawke/Keating lic Affairs (IPA), the H.R. Nicholls purged in favour of the fiscally- before being eventually moved to a other $1 billion in his second budg- four-bed ward. 4 policies which destroyed the econ- Society and the Tasman Institute, conservative (“dry”), economic ra- et. At the 1996 Premiers’ Conference, omy, began the slide downhill to- all of which enjoyed lavish corpo- tionalist gang of John Howard and But, for a real insight into the axe- he forced the states to take a $1.5 murderers of the Mont Pelerin Soci- ward private “user pays” healthcare, rate funding. Mont Pelerin’s intent his cronies. Thus, when the Liberal billion overall funding cut, which health insurance for those who can was to loot (“privatise”) and ulti- Party came to power in 1996 under ety, consider the case of Victorian cut an estimated half a billion dol- Premier Jeff Kennett. afford it (which supposedly pro- mately to destroy the nation-state John Howard, they took up where lars in state health care funding. The New Citizen April 2006 Page 41 The Infrastructure Road to Recovery Health Care

Mayhem and Murder—the Kennett “Reforms”

he clearest case of Mont Peler- public hospitals; reducing admin- Tin’s savage attack on the pop- istrative staffing levels to those of ulation, was seen in Victoria, be- 1987-88; busting unions and re- ginning with the 1992 election of placing them with “enterprise bar- Liberal Premier Jeff Kennett. Ken- gaining”; cutting non-medical nett was the protégé of Mont Pe- staff drastically; corporatising hos- lerin heavyweight John Gough, pitals; and “contracting out” serv- OBE, a longtime chairman of the ices. ANZ Bank, and a power in the In- Kennett closed and downgrad- stitute for Public Affairs. Kennett’s ed dozens of public hospitals; cor- entire program, in particular his poratised and privatised health fa- brutal dismantling of the health cilities; cut capital funding by sector, was outlined for him in a 49% in 1996 alone and slashed series of “studies” by MPS fronts, more than 40,000 nursing and oth- notably the 1991 Project Victoria: er health sector jobs; increased sur- An Agenda for Change, co-writ- gical waiting lists by at least 22% ten by the Tasman Institute and the from pre-1992 levels; degraded IPA, and the 1992 Towards a ambulance services; and demoral- Healthier State: The restructuring ised doctors and other health proof Victoria’s Public Health Serv- fessionals who repeatedly warned ices. IPA ideologue and former that people were dying as a direct Treasury official Des Moore co- consequence of the “reforms”. Mont Pelerin Premier Jeff Kennett. Photo: AAP/ authored both reports, and public- One notable public outcry came Julian Smith ly demanded a “major down-siz- from Dr. Graeme Brazenor, the Vic- ing in the Victorian health Depart- torian chairman of the Australian standards”. However, it was not The Preston & Northcote Community Hospital, only built in the 60s, was one of the ment,” together with “a move to a Association of Surgeons who just a matter of increasing infec- hospitals in Melbourne’s northern suburbs which was axed by Kennett. competitive market situation.” summed up the situation by say- tions. As the CEC documented Kennett dutifully complied. Im- ing that if the state public hospital through several case studies re- mediately upon his election, he system “was a dog, you’d shoot it”. ported in its 1998 pamphlet, Aus- costs and eliminating medical not recover by the time his hours started dismantling the state’s He spoke out after six patients in a tralia’s health care “reforms”: A services, just like America’s HMOs are up, one of two things happens: health care system, as per the Tas- main surgical unit at the Austin and Nuremberg crime against human- [Health Management Organisa- he is simply kicked out, or the hos- man/IPA reports, which called for: Repatriation Medical Centre were ity, Kennett’s dismantling of Vic- tions]. In this process, the govern- pital is fined heavily, and forced the privatisation of 3,130 of the infected with golden staph while toria’s hospital system was system- ment sets strict guidelines for hos- to pay for the cost of the patient’s 5,360 state nursing home beds; undergoing surgery in March atically killing people. pitals where each medical condi- extended hospitalisation out of its “making better use” of private hos- 1997, because cleaning staff had But the reforms continued, in- tion is allocated a hospitalisation own slashed funding. pitals by closing 1,300 public hos- been cut back so drastically. Dr. cluding the introduction of period, a specified number of treat- There is a clear precedent for pital beds; slashing salaries and Brazenor ultimately quit because “casemix funding”, which is an- ment and nursing hours and an al- denying human beings needed staffing rates for the remaining there was no “major restoration of other way of slashing hospital lowable cost. If the patient does health care—Nazi Germany. The Nuremberg Precedent—Denial of Medical Care n the Nuremberg Trials follow- ical care to those who needed it— the fascist economic system much Iing World War II, the United what the Nuremberg Trials referred earlier. His general order for kill- States, the Soviet Union, Great to as “inadequate provision of sur- ing off the insane and others be- Britain and France tried 23 doc- gical and medical services”. Ten gan when resources became tors and Nazi officials who had defendants were condemned for scarce. He stated that he “consid- carried out war crimes and crimes murder and ill-treatment of civil- ered it to be proper that the ‘life against humanity. ian populations, which was carried unworthy of life’ of severely men- U.S. Chief of Counsel Justice out by diverse means, including tally ill persons be eliminated by Robert H. Jackson stressed that the “shooting, hanging, gassing, star- actions that bring about death.” In prosecution targeted the men who vation, gross overcrowding, sys- this way, “a certain saving in hos- were responsible for criminal poli- tematic under-nutrition, systemat- pitals, doctors, and nursing per- cies, “men of station”, “the planners ic imposition of labor tasks be- sonnel could be brought about.” and designers”. It was implicit in yond the strength of those ordered While Hitler killed to save mon- this prosecution that the guilty to carry them out, [and] inadequate ey for his war effort, other mod- could not have known every indi- provision of surgical and medical ern-day ideologues not only ad- vidual who would die by his order; services…” (emphasis added) vocate killing to save what they but it was made crystal clear, that The key to these horrible crimes deem to be “scarce resources”— the individual who ordered the pol- was the policy of dehumanisation, money for their banking and cor- icy, held individual responsibility which began with deciding that porate sponsors—but because for the murderous result—they some lives were not worthy to be they intend to savagely reduce the “knew or should have known”. lived. Hitler coined this phrase world’s population, as document- One of the ways in which the when he ordered the expansion of ed in the “Populate or Perish— Nazis freed up resources to be used Nazis in the dock at Nuremberg. Some were found guilty and hung for crimes against the euthanasia program in 1939, Australia Needs 50 Million Peo- humanity, including “the inadequate provision of surgical and medical service”. for their war, was by denying med- but the concept was embedded in ple” section of this special report. Now, Let’s Rebuild!

he Mont Pelerin-directed slash VRE (Vancomycin resistant entero- Howard and company claim to be Worried about the economy, Ting of our health care system cocci), one of the newly dubbed “su- fighting terrorism. Obviously, a cru- would be bad enough in “ordinary” perbugs”, has been isolated in 20 cial component of such a fight must times. However, it is taking place at hospitals around Australia, and that be a drastically-upgraded health and your future? a moment when HIV-AIDS is ex- more than 20 per cent of pneumo- care system, capable of dealing with ploding throughout our Asian re- nia cases are now resistant to peni- September 11/anthrax-style inci- READ gion, and when old and new diseas- cillin and other antibiotics. Now dents, as well as with daily life. This WHAT AUSTRALIA MUST DO es are spreading around the world. comes the threat of large-scale ter- means pouring billions of dollars The book the Hepatitis C, for instance, has rorism on the model of the World into the system, immediately. A real to Survive the Depression reached epidemic proportions, be- Trade Centre or something poten- marker for whether this government, Establishment ing contracted by 10 times more tially even more deadly, such as bi- or any other, actually intends to fight people than the HIV-AIDS virus and oterrorism, and there is no way in terror, or just use “terrorism” as an does not want in only half the time. Infectious dis- the world that our ravaged, crisis- excuse to introduce a fascist police you to have! eases specialist, Prof. Graham ridden healthcare system could even state, will be seen in its commitment Cooksley told the Herald Sun Sep- dream of dealing with the thousands to health care. So far, were he alive tember 2, 2001 that Hepatitis C “has or tens of thousands of casualties to see Australia’s health care system become a plague.” Add to that the which such attacks might cause. today, Adolf Hitler would be smil- $20 (inc GST) fact that the virtually-untreatable In the wake of September 11, ing. Or write to CEC Australia Footnotes PO Box 376 1. Contrary to the fairy stories be- co-workers, in appreciation of the MPS’ 3. On how the MPS and its local fronts Coburg Vic 3058 lieved by little children and some oth- efforts. took over both of Australia’s major par- or Free Call 1-800-636-432 (Please include $4 for postage ers, Gough Whitlam was dumped by the While the rest of the world’s media ties during the post-Whitlam 1970s, see and handling if ordering British Crown itself, not merely its lap- was still cheering New Zealand as the the CEC’s Stop the British Crown plot to by post or phone. We accept all major credit cards.) dog, Sir John Curr. That fact is amply global “poster boy” for economic ra- crush Australia’s Unions. documented in the CEC’s 1998 96-page tionalism, the New Citizen published a 4. Wrote Carolyn Jones, “My moth- pamphlet, Stop the British Crown plot 20-page special expose on the New Zea- er’s experience has not only left me Citizens Electoral Council of Australia to crush Australia’s Unions. land “reforms” in its Jan.-Mar. 1997 is- alarmed about the state of our public 2. A key role was played in the early sue. Entitled, “Nazi ‘reforms’ rip New and private hospital systems but has also financing of the Mont Pelerin’s flagship Zealand—Australia next”, the report led me to question the purpose of taking London think tank, the Institute for Eco- documented, sector by sector, how the out private health insurance. I would nomic Affairs, and related networks in reforms had looted and crushed New have thought that health insurance, like the 1950s by the Queen’s private mon- Zealand’s physical economy, including any other form of insurance—whether ey manager, London financier Harley the nation’s once-proud health system. it’s for the car or the house—is effec- Drayton. And, as longtime MPS direc- That reality is now generally admitted tively a guarantee that you get access tor Lord Harris of High Cross bragged by all but the most lunatic economic ra- when needed. But my mother, a pen- in a 1996 interview, the Queen had show- tionalists, including those Mont Pelerin sioner, is paying nearly $100 a month ered knightly and even higher honours hacks who run the New Zealand Busi- for the privilege of entering a lottery....” upon both himself and most of his MPS ness Roundtable. Page 42 The New Citizen April 2006 The Infrastructure Road to Recovery— Let’s Build Our Way Out of the Depression! Education: Dummies Won’t Develop Australia ike all other essential national survey of 30,000 undergraduates the norm, which make real educa- Linfrastructure, education has taken recently by the Australian tion almost impossible, especial- been looted and run down over the Vice-Chancellors’ Committee, ly when combined with increasing past two decades of economic ra- “Paying Their Way”, seven in ten violence in the classrooms, and an tionalism. And, as in the health care students work, many facing at least increasing number of teachers crisis, it would be difficult to over- 70 hours per week in combined teaching subjects for which they exaggerate the degree of crisis work and study. Reported Stuart have not been trained. caused by the decades of savage Rosewarne, an executive member *There is a “critical teacher looting. As the Sydney Morning of the National Tertiary Education shortage” looming by 2005, ac- Herald of July 8, 2000 noted, “all Union, “One of the biggest chang- cording to an early 2001 study sides of the political debate agree es we have noticed is how many commissioned by the Australian that Australia’s 37 public univer- students are working. A few years Council of Deans. For Victoria, the sities teeter on the precipice.” Alan ago 20% worked full-time, and the study forecast that the state would Gilbert, the Vice-Chancellor of the remainder would work around 10- have only 69% of its required pri- University of Melbourne, was more 12 hours a week. Now, I’d say those mary teachers and only 59% of its stark: “The very idea of a univer- proportions are reversed. What that secondary teachers. The crisis is sity seems fragile. The 900-year- then causes is further dumbing particularly bad in Victoria, which old monopoly that traditional uni- down of courses, because their suffered the most savage econom- versities have exercised in the pro- teachers take account of the stress- ic rationalist onslaught of any state vision and certification of higher es the students are under.” The Pres- under the Kennett regime, Man’s power in and over the universe, stems entirely from those cognitive processes by education is under irresistible president of the National Tertiary Edu- where10,000 teachers left the sys- means of which discoveries of universal physical principle are transmitted, from past to sure. It will not survive, and its cation Union, Dr. Carolyn Allport, tem from 1991-98. There, the present, and future. Here children discover the properties of the Platonic Solids. passing will represent the greatest said that the increase in the number number of students preparing to single revolution that has faced of fee-paying students was a wor- become teachers has collapsed by cluding teachers’ salaries, new Said Association President Terry universities in 900 years.” rying trend, because “It opens up a 50%, and nationally by 33%. The school buildings, sports courts, and Woolley in September 2001, “We In December 2000, the Group of real distinction between the peo- destruction of education is contin- computers. A survey by the Herald are deeply concerned about the de- Eight, the eight premier research ple who can get into the courses uing under the Bracks government. of Parents & Citizens Associations liberate shift of resources away universities, called for a $13 bil- on the fact that they can pay fees The president of the Victorian As- at 90 schools shows that parents are from the public sector”, where at lion dollar funding boost over the rather than merit.” Students were sociation of State Secondary even paying for basics such as gas least 70% of Australians are still next five years for research and paying up to $80,000 in fees, she School Principals Ted Brierley and electricity, which are not cov- educated. “We are extremely con- development, because Australia said, and in future, “all doctors, charged in June 2001 that highly ered by Government funding.” Said cerned about the overall funding had collapsed to well behind most lawyers and media people will be experienced teachers—precisely the president of the NSW Primary of secondary schools,” he said. other Western nations in R&D. people who have paid for their those most urgently needed—were Principals’ Association, Mr. John The first thing which must be Savage funding cuts are at the courses rather than people who being forced out of the system by McMillan, “Governments are get- done about the education crisis, as root of the crisis, with funding have aptitude for it.” A recent Aus- the Bracks government giving an ting away with the amount they are in the case of the breakdown in slashed by a staggering $2100 per tralian Institute survey of 1000 average teacher salary for each spending because parents are mak- health care, is to “throw a wall of student since 1983, according to a academics reported that full fee- teacher they employ, when teaching up the deficit.” money at it.” However, while that is recent federal Senate committee’s paying students were routinely ers with higher seniority obvious- *Indicative of the typical eco- a necessary start, it is not sufficient report, “Universities in Crisis”; the being given “preferential treat- ly “cost” more. Brierley charged, nomic rationalist policy of aiding to really solve the problem. Because committee also found that Austral- ment” by universities desperate for “This is a deliberate policy of get- the rich and penalising the poor, the real problem is to equip young ian university students were get- cash, and that there was considera- ting rid of experienced teachers. Howard in his most recent budget Australians with actual cognitive ting a poorer quality education ble pressure to pass them, even if Kids will be shortchanged, and I gave the nation’s richest private abilities to innovate and problem- than did their parents. Increasing- they flunked the course. fear for the system.” schools, such as Caulfield, Mel- solve for the sort of rapidly devel- ly, universal public education— Under financial pressure, many *In New South Wales, education bourne and Geelong Grammars, al- oping physical economy which we which is the cornerstone of the sov- students are forced to drop out, is increasingly taking on the fla- most $1 million per year each for have sketched elsewhere in this spe- ereign nation-state—is being done while the rest get a shadow of the vour of “McEducation”, as desper- the next four years, while public cial report on infrastructure. The away with, in favour of the typical education which they should be ately cash-short schools allow schools were to be granted a paltry necessary approach to such a real “user-pays” insanity which is typ- receiving. The funding cuts have McDonald’s into their schools to $4000 per year, this after education education, and the roles of univer- ical of economic rationalism, and caused a near-disintegration of not promote their products, in return budget cuts of billions of dollars sities as “science drivers” for the of the Howard Government in par- only the universities, but of the for cash payments. Meanwhile, ac- in the 1996 budget. The Australian economy as a whole, was outlined ticular. Whereas some years ago, a education system as a whole, of cording to the Sydney Morning Secondary Principals Association, recently by Lyndon LaRouche in typical higher education might which the following are merely Herald of July 30, 2001, “Parents representing more than 2000 prin- an article in Executive Intelligence have cost $200 per year in union some highlights: of primary school pupils are pay- cipals nationwide, denounced the Review of October 12, 2001, “A New fees, today $20,000 per year in fees *Large class sizes, of 27-28 pu- ing millions of dollars to meet federal government’s approach to Guide for the Perplexed: How the is not uncommon. According to a pils and even more, are becoming their basic educational needs, in- education funding as “appalling”. Clone Prince Went Mad!” A Science-Driver Economy by Lyndon H. LaRouche Jr.

have emphasised two points of in general and higher education to- Ipolicy which must be emphasized day. The change makes education in defining a future recovery from human, for a change. the presently ongoing, global eco- The keys to understanding this nomic catastrophe. These are, a shift difference, are, in summary, the fol- to a Classical humanist mode of ed- lowing. ucation, at all levels of education, First, the act of cognition through and a new quality of emphasis on which a successful hypothesis is universities as the focal point of sci- generated, is a mental process which ence-driver policy for direction of is perfectly opaque to the sense-per- the economy as a whole.... ceptual apparatus of the external To that purpose, I turn now to the observer. Therefore, the most impor- subject of my educational policy, tant of all social acts, are those trans- and, after that, the way in which such actions through which a valid hy- an educational policy flows, natu- pothesis and its validation as a uni- rally, into my conception of intro- versal physical principle, is repli- ducing a science-driver form of cated as a cognitive act provoked economy as a natural next step in in the sovereign cognitive powers the development of what Hamilton, of another person. It is the power to the Careys, and List named “The generate and transmit, so, verifiable American System of political-econ- discoveries of universal physical omy.” principle, which is the absolute dif- In earlier locations, I have used ference between a human being and the image of a contemporary child all other living creatures. Therefore, re-experiencing an act of original we should educate our children for discovery of a universal phys- what they are, human beings, rather ical principle by the ancient than the monkeys, which programs Archimedes. I have emphasized, that in mere learning imply those chil- “The School of Athens” by the great Renaissance painter, Raphael, depicts great thinkers who lived as much as 2000 years apart, in living every child should be educated in dren to be. dialogue with one another. In the same way, a child must come to know the great minds of all human civilisation. that way, and no other. The object This cognitive form of social re- es a living memory of that reenact- as a virtual living personality with- obliged to present them compelling of education must be, primarily, that lationship is not limited to relations ment within the mind of the (for in his or her own mind. All even ap- arguments, which should win them the pupil should accumulate a with living persons. In the case of example) student. proximately competent education to accept the discoverer’s overturn- memory of having re-experienced the actual reenactment of an origi- Indeed, I have reminded my read- produces precisely that sort of ef- ing of what they had adopted and the actual cognitive act of original nal discovery of a universal physi- ers many times, Raphael Sanzio fect, or a fair approximation of it in defended in their time. discovery of a universal physical cal principle, originally made by a portrays a crucial principle of the the mind of the student. For that and related reasons, a tru- principle made by persons who, for long-deceased discoverer, the stu- human education of human beings, Within the conscience of the per- ly human relationship is based upon example, are today, chiefly, long de- dent has established an active rela- in his famous The School of Athens. son so educated, the voices of many that quality of cognitive relation- ceased, even back many thousands tionship with that deceased person The mind of the person who has from among the greatest known sci- ship. This point is the pervasive of years. which is of the same degree of so- acquired knowledge through a cog- entists, artists, and statesmen of the burden of Plato’s Socratic dialogues, In the act of re-experiencing such cial intimacy, and distinctively hu- nitive relationship with persons past are heard as living voices in for example. an original discovery of universal man character, as with any living both living and deceased, has the the mind. This is the jury to which This cognitive quality of rela- principle, there is a wonderful person. The reenactment of a cog- living memory of that person, as the discoverer appeals, even when tionship, is also the proper defini- change from the effects produced nitive act of discovery performed represented by the relevant cogni- he disagrees with many among those tion of sanity, in contrast to the in- by standard instruction in learning by a long-deceased person, productive act or acts of discovery, present authorities from the past. He is self- sanity represented by ideologies The New Citizen April 2006 Page 43 The Infrastructure Road to Recovery Education

priority ought to be that of increas- The Machine-Tool Principle FIGURE 1. The four steps of cognition ing the ration of the total population being so educated, and employed in the indicated categories Current Levels of Development of research and of product and of Step 1 Pose an ontological paradox (metaphor). Individual Creative Reason process design. This should be re- This is representable. flected in the ratios of composition of the labor-force in each agro- industrial category of production Step 2 Discover a validatable solution. and science-based services. Discoveries of Valid New Hypotheses This is not representable. The best medical system, which the United States was working toward improving under the post- Machine Tool Designs Step 3 Identify the principle of solution. World War II Hill-Burton law, was Education This is representable. the emphasis on full-service public teaching hospitals, including Developed Labor Force New and improved Product Designs those associated with universities. Step 4 Design a proof-of-principle experiment. These were but one aspect of the total capacity for developing and This is representable. Productive Processes delivering medical and related ben- Increasing Capital-Intensity efits, but they were exemplary, and Increasing Power-Intensity crucial in the respect that their pa- such as “free trade” and “sharehold- typifies the form of practice by a tients were selected on the basis of Labor Force and Machine-Tool Des er value.” The habit of thinking society which realizes both aspects the patients’ needs, rather than any Are Combined cognitively, of seeking out and of the principle of universal hu- different consideration. Such hos- challenging the paradoxes lurking man progress. The Classical hu- pitals typify the principle of the sci- within popular opinion, for exam- manist method develops the abili- ence-driver approach I have sum- ple, is the standard of sanity of both ty of the individual mind to recog- marized immediately above. Development individuals and societies. nize ontological paradoxes and For related reasons, I continue Increased Productivity Therefore, the policy must be effect relevant, verifiable discov- to propose mission-oriented, pioneering, science-driver programs, that a truth-seeking Classical hu- eries of universal physical princi- Increase of manist mode of public and higher ple. The same method socializes as typified by the Manhattan Potential Relative education, as so indicated, must be both the process of discovery, and Project, by the development of the Population-Density the only tolerated standard of edu- the discoverer as both student and space program, and by my own de- cation ... from henceforth. scientist. sign for what President Reagan Higher Levels of Examine an additional implica- The universities of educational named a “Strategic Defense Initi- Development tion of what I have just stated. systems of that intention, each and ative.” A large-scale, long-term of Man’s power in and over the all modelled implicitly on the mission, assigned the task of mak- Individual Creative Reason universe, stems entirely from those method of knowledge exhibited in ing the seemingly impossible real, cognitive processes by means of Plato’s Socratic dialogues, should expresses the principle of science, which discoveries of universal serve as the pinnacle of science. and of human progress generally, physical principle are transmitted, That should drive the economy. In in a way nothing else could do. to lie largely in the military or re- power, by government, on areas of from past to present, and future. brief, that proceeds by the follow- The revolutionary impact of war- lated functions of government, breakthrough beyond the capaci- Therefore, if we define the univer- ing steps. time and related science-driver because such scientific and tech- ty of any private enterprise, is the sity as the pinnacle of a system of In competent programs of edu- programs, and their expression in nological achievements were un- only way in which the transition universal education premised cation in what is conventionally new qualities of technologies, likely to occur in any other way. to a science-driver economy is like- upon Classical humanist princi- termed “physical science,” in products, and processes, happened The massive concentration of ly to emerge. ples, the advanced and other re- schools and universities, there is search functions properly situated great emphasis on two sets of ex- in such a university system, pro- periments. The first, are called ped- vide the most appropriate driver agogical experiments, through aid Join the Citizens Electoral Council to change the economic and for both the world’s economy and of which the student reenacts the political course of our Nation. for the crafting of those long-range crucial and other discoveries of the objectives around which today’s past, in a Classical humanist, which physical-economic policies are is to say, “Socratic” way. This ac- Membership Form - Citizens Electoral Council of Australia defined. cumulation of pedagogical exper- The notable benefits of such a imental work, prepares the stu- As a CEC member you will receive regular copies of the CEC’s Australian Alert Service Membership Edition policy, are not merely technical, dent’s mind for discovering and published monthly by the Citizens Electoral Council, as well as copies of any New Citizens published during the but also moral and psychothera- testing hypotheses. membership year. The Alert provides all members with the breaking international and Australian news they need peutic. The development of a per- All of the historical knowledge to know about, as well as reports on the CEC. son’s sense of a close personal sort and skills represented by pedagog- To become a CEC member please fill out this form and return it with $20 payable to CEC Australia PO Box 376 Coburg Vic 3058 of cognitive relationship, to not ical instruction and experiments, only some of the greatest intellects is then marshalled to serve as a First Name: Surname: of humanity’s past, but an impas- point of departure into the previ- sioned regard for those past con- ously unknown. The pivot on Residential Address (as shown on Electoral Roll): tributions which have yet to be ful- which the success of a science-driv- ly realized, if realized at all, moti- er program hangs, is fundamental, Street: City/Town: vates us to see in ourselves the experimentally oriented research opportunity to change the out- into discovery of new universal State: Postcode: come of past history, by rescuing physical principles. This success for the present and future, that requires intense concentration on Mailing address (if different to above): which might have been lost forev- a crucial feature of the design of Street: City/Town: er without our current intervention. proof-of-principle experiments, a That view of our cognitive rela- feature to which I have already re- State: Postcode: Date of Birth: tionship to great personalities of ferred, above. the past, informs our view of our- In any successful proof-of-prin- Phone (H): (W): Fax: selves, as the image of our living ciple experiment, there are ele- self might be reflected back to us ments of the design of the experi- Email: Affiliation/Occupation: today, from those observing us in ment which are in specific corre- the future. Similarly, in a related spondence to the principle at is- Your State electorate: Federal electorate: way, we must be impassioned to sue in the test in the chosen medi- Declaration (for Australian Electoral Commission registration purposes only) ensure that the future does not um. Thus, the success of that ex- I wish to become a member of the Citizens Electoral Council make the terrible mistakes we know periment identifies those distinc- I am eligible to enrol for Federal elections. (You are eligible to enrol for Federal elections if: of the past and our present time. tive elements of the experimental •you are 17 years of age or older; and In our minds, so informed and design as the appropriate keys to •you are an Australian citizen; and developed, the past, present, and the application of that principle in •you have lived at your present address for at least the last month.) future have an historic order in re- the designs of products and pro- (British subjects who are not Australian citizens are eligible to enrol for Federal elections if they were on a spect to each other, but, in our ductive processes. Commonwealth of Australia electoral roll on 25 January, 1984.) minds, those whose acts of cogni- The bridge between the universi- * I consent to this form being forwarded to the Australian Electoral Commission in support of the Party’s tive discovery we have relived live ty-centered programs of fundamen- application for registration. (Strike out if not applicable.) within us, as if they were our moral tal research and the productive I declare that all the information I have given on this form is true and complete. contemporaries. Thus, it is said, we economy, is provided, usually, by become privileged, through the re- the very type of machine-tool-de- X Signature:______Date / / demptive process of cognition, to sign engineering which the current live forever, with such companions, fad of “benchmarking” has pro- Credit Card Payment within an eternal moment, called posed to eradicate, that in the inter- Please charge $20 on my Credit Card. sometimes “the simultaneity of est of promoting both the evils of eternity”.... out-sourcing, and product-quality Name on Card: Exp. Date Signature: The crucial principle of physi- failures in performance! The type cal economy which defines a sci- of machine-tool-design practice ence-driver economy, is that the in- consistent with proof-of-principle OFFICE USE ONLY crease of mankind’s potential rela- experiment, is the bridge between tive population-density within the so-called “pure science” and pro- This is the annexure marked...... referred to in the statutory declaration of...... universe, depends essentially on duction of qualitatively improved (annexure number) the discovery and socialization of kinds of products and processes...... sworn the ...... day of...... universal physical principles. The On the condition, that the indi- (month and year) university-led Classical humanist cated principles of educational Signed:...... BEFORE ME:...... (signature of the person making the declaration) (signature of the person before whom the declaration is made) form of educational system, thus policy are in force, then society’s Page 44 The New Citizen April 2006 The choice today is the same as it was in 2002: A Fascist Police State, or Economic Development!

2002 2004

Our Mission for 2006

he Infrastructure Special Report featured in this March 2006 TNew Citizen first appeared (in a condensed form) in the February 2002 New Citizen pictured above. The 9/11 attack had taken place shortly before, an event which had been forecast by U.S. economist and statesman Lyndon LaRouche already in January, 2001, just as Cheney/Bush were taking office. Be warned, LaRouche said, that the ongoing disintegration of the international “globalist” monetary system would lead the Synarchy, the financial oligarchy, to stage a “Reichstag Fire”-like “terrorist incident” as a pretext to implement police states in the U.S. and worldwide, in order to maintain their political control during a world financial collapse. On February 28, 1933, the Synarchist-sponsored Nazis had burned down the German Parliament (Reichstag) building and blamed it on “Communist terrorism”, the excuse Hitler used to seize dictatorial powers. Already in 2002, it was clear that Howard was following in the footsteps of Cheney/Bush – and Hitler. Often with Labor’s help, he has rammed through ever-more draconian laws, many no different than what the Nazis proclaimed in 1933-34. In 2004, as the fascist laws kept coming, the CEC published the extraordinary New Citizen shown at top right. Based upon archival and other buried sources, the paper showed that the leading banks and corporations in Austral- ia had organized mass fascist armies in preparation for a coup in 1931, had the Scullin Labor Government moved to implement a national banking-centred economic recovery, as President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was to do in the U.S. when he took office in 1933. Indeed, John Howard’s own father, Lyle, was a member of the fascist New Guard in Sydney. The global financial bubble will soon pop, which leaves only one of two options: either we re-establish the national banking-centred powers of sovereign nation-states above those of the globalist Synar- chy, for which LaRouche is leading the battle; or the Synarchy tri- umphs and the entire world plunges into a New Dark Age more hid- eous than that of the Fourteenth Century, when the usurious international banks of the day collapsed and almost one-half of Europe’s population perished in the resulting mayhem and Black Death. Thus, the projects presented in this New Citizen are not merely “nice ideas”: they are the very essence of the battle.

✁ FREE New Citizen For a free copy of the April 2004 “Defeat the Synarchy— Fight for a National Bank”, New Citizen call toll-free 1800 636 432 or send in this coupon to CEC PO Box 376 Coburg Vic 3058, and leave ALL your details below.

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