PM Transcripts

EMBARGO: 11 p. m. Wednesday, 15th June, 1960 P. M. No. 21/ 1960
WORK AT KIMBERLEY RJL] SEARCH STATION TO BE
DOUBLED
Statement by the Actingi Prime Minister, Mr. J. McEwen
The Commonwealth Government has agreed to increase its
assistance to the work of the Kimberley Research Station.
An expanded programme of agricultural research is to
be carried out over the next five years at the Station, which is
located in the Ord Valley, North-W4estern Australia.
Annual expenditure on this work will be almost doubled.
The station has been operated jointly by the Commonwealth
and Western Australian Governments since 1946. The agricultural
research is carried out by the Commonwealth Scientific
and Industrial Research Organisation and the -lestern Australian
Department of Agriculture. Each Government meets half the costs
involved. The results of the Station's work in irrigated agriculture
are already being applied in several northern Australian
areas. The Stationts annual funds ( exclusive of salaries) for
carrying out its work uill be increased from œ C50,000 to œ C92,000.
The research staff will be increased.
The programme decided upon for the next five-year period
provides for an expansion of work on rice and safflower. These
two crops are giving very encouraging results. Further work will
be done on a number of other crops which appear to have good agronomic
prospects. It will be recalled that the Government of destern Australia
decided to spend in the Ord Valley part of the œ C5 million
grant provided by the Commonwealth for new development works in
the northern part of Western Australia. It is now proceeding
with the construction of a weir on the Ord River to serve an irrigation
area of from 10,000 to 15, GLOO acres.
This decision of the t4ostern Australian Government has
emphasised the necessity for expanding the work of the Station, so
that it can handle technical problems arising from the commercial
venture. . CANB fRA, 15' th June ,1960