The Rise Of Australasia

Chapter 245: Chapter 226: New Cabinet, New Plan_3

Minister Andrew had nothing much to report, as Australasia is basically not involved in international affairs. Apart from exchanges with a few better countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has virtually nothing to do.

Minister of Defce Kt simply reported on the number of soldiers and their currt training status. The situation in the Ministry of Defce is unique at the momt. Although it is part of the Cabinet, the Ministry of Defce only reports to the Royal Parliamt and Arthur.

Next up was Finance Minister Roger. The financial situation in Australasia is quite good, not only does it have 30 million Australian dollars on the books, but the fiscal revue in the last six months has also hit a new high, reaching a pleasing 5.3 million Australian dollars.

If this can be maintained, the total governmt fiscal revue for 907 has a chance of exceeding 30 million Australian dollars, realising a surplus in governmt finances for the first time.

Because in the first half of the year, the total fiscal expditure of the governmt was only 4. million Australian dollars, ev wh the Northern Railway construction plan was launched.

In the second half of this year, the construction of the industrial railway is about to be completed, which also means that the governmt will have one less major expditure project.

The governmt's financial turna from deficit to surplus, has many ministers smiling from ear to ear.

The improvemt in governmt finances also means that each departmt will receive a larger budget, making it ev easier to carry out their tasks.

Minister Hry wt straight from the not-so-high-ranking Minister of Agriculture position to Minister of Civil Affairs and became one of the upper echelons of the Cabinet Governmt.

Despite being responsible for completely differt affairs, years of political experice have allowed Minister Hry to quickly familiarise himself with the situation in the Ministry of Civil Affairs, making it easier to manage administrative affairs.

Though only half a year has passed, the population growth in Australasia has be very rapid.

So far, Australasia has a total population of 6.77 million, of which the total population of Australia is 5.4 million and New Zealand's total population is .3 million.

It is visible to the naked eye that the scale and developmt speed of Australia's population is much faster than that of New Zealand, this is due to Australia's land area, as well as Australia's original population scale.

However, this is a good thing for the currt Australasia, Arthur's base is Australia, and the stronger Australia is, the more stable the situation of Australasian unity becomes.

Although the gap betwe Australia and New Zealand is gradually becoming a source of dissatisfaction for some New Zealanders, Arthur also has measures to deal with this.

Besides launching many constructions in New Zealand to let them truly feel the changes brought about by joining the kingdom, we are also promoting the concept of Australasians, subtly merging Australians and New Zealanders into one ethnicity, which can also eliminate the possibility of a gap betwe the two peoples and regions.

Next up are the two new ministers, that is, the reports from the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Transportation.

First is the Ministry of Agriculture, the report from Minister Mark.

The developmt of agriculture in Australasia is also very rapid, which is thanks to the labour of a large number of indigous people.

Due to the input of a large number of indigous people, the total area of arable land in Australasia has be steadily increasing at a rate of at least 5% annually. Food production is ev more pleasing, from initially a million tons in Australia, by 906 the annual production exceeded 5.5 million tons.

This grain production can sustain a population of 0 million. But Australasia still has a lot of arable land, this is a valuable resource for Australasia, and the key to supporting a larger population.

What is noticeably differt from before is the cultivated land area that Australasia currtly gives to immigrants.

Although each immigrant could previously be allocated three acres of land, less than a fifth of this was ready-made farmland, the rest required the immigrants to clear it themselves.

But now Australasia's immigration policy has be upgraded once again. Each immigrant can not only obtain at least five acres of land, at least one-third of which is arable, but also hire indigous peoples for reclamation at a low price.

Especially in the New Guinea Colony, immigrants heading to New Guinea Colony can ev get t acres of land, the Colonial Governmt will also dispatch indigous people for reclamation, and ev farming and harvesting can hire indigous people at a low cost, thus becoming a farm owner.

There was also a twist, the Dutch East Indies too felt the frantic speed of Australasia's developmt and made some adjustmts regarding the Indigous Peoples.

Currtly, the frequcy of indigous people dispatched from the Dutch East Indies is significantly lower, and most of those st over are wom or the elderly who are not suitable as laborers.

Although their price is ev lower, Australasia has no need to spd money buying waste.

According to the estimates of the Dutch East Indies indigous population, there are at least more than forty million indigous people within the Dutch East Indies.

However, in the Dutch East Indies, the indigous population transported to Australasia is only just over one million, which is trifling for the Dutch East Indies.

Therefore, the reason for the Dutch East Indies reducing the frequcy of indigous transfers is very likely because they fear Australasia's speed of developmt.

Perhaps they have also realized that continuing to transport large numbers of indigous people will only continue to accelerate Australasia's developmt speed.

Wh Australasia has developed to a certain extt and possesses ough military strgth, the Dutch East Indies, as Australasia's closest neighbor to the north, will undoubtedly be hit first.

Arthur understood the Dutch's apprehsions, but it was already too late for the Dutch to react.

Looking at the currt developmt of Australasia, the Dutch may not necessarily be a match for Australasia.

The Dutch East Indies wants to reduce the scale of indigous people transport, but it depds on whether Arthur's loyal army agrees or not.

This is an important issue about national developmt and can absolutely cause two fridly nations to fall out.

If the Dutch are unwilling to continue the previous scale of indigous transportation, th they can only experice the intsity of the Australasia Army.

Of course, this also needs an opportunity. Arthur will not take the initiative to act against the Dutch without sufficit reasons.

After all, this is a legally recognized colony of the Powers, and Arthur does not want Australasia's positive impression in the eyes of the Powers to be too badly damaged.

The reports from the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Transportation are all based on data.

The transportation infrastructure construction of Australasia is also progressing smoothly, the industrial railways estimated for t-year construction has already completed more than half in more than six years and will be officially completed and oped to traffic in the second half of this year.

This will greatly alleviate the traffic issues betwe the east and west ds of the Australian Contint, and the abundant mineral resources of West Australia and South Australia can be transferred effectively and quickly to the most developed region of Southeast Australia.

If the construction of the Northern Railway completes, the communication betwe the states of Australia will become very efficit, which will also be good news for the developmt of Australasia.

Of course, if the Northern Railway is successfully built, Australasia will have a better grip on the Northern Region of Australia.

And the Northern Region of the Australian Contint is very close to Southeast Asia, especially some islands in the Dutch East Indies.

This is also an arrangemt for the possible expansion of Australasia, and the Southeast Asia region is also very important for Australasia.