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Letters
TO THE EDITOR
Limited potential of Cape York
Peninsula for cattle raising
CIR, — The statements reported in The Canberra Times
August 15, by Professor C. H. Munro and Senator Scott
of WA. made at a Young Liberals' seminar on northern k
development in Brisbane, on August 14. are, to say the
least, quite bewildering, seeing that the former is Professor
of Civil Engineering at the University of NSW and director
of the Water Research Foundation of Australia and that
the latter is a prominent member of the Government Parties'
Food and Agriculture Committee and Government Whip
in fhr. Senate.
I would calegorisc Professor
Munro's reported statement that
the Cape York area "could be
sold to the Dutch. Jews, Swiss,
or Germans" as rubbish, and his
statement that "the north was
the only scction of Australia
which had scope for much more
development of water resources"
as being unrealistic.
An inference could clearly be
■drawn from Professor Munro's
suggestion that the possibility of
further development of Austra
lia's water resources to the south
of his "Gympie line" (26th paral
lel) are limited by comparison
with those to the north of that
line.
In effect, this would be to
deny the resources of the Dar
ling River system, alone, the
conversation of which is now
being so widely canvassed by
well-informed authorities who
are conscious of the need to
harness and conserve the re
sources of this system — prob
ably Australia's most extensive
— held to be of critical import
ance to preservation of the fast
degenerating semi-arid Western
Division which embraces ap
proximately two-fifths of NSW.
I would say that up to one
thousand million dollars could
be invested in the conservation
and utilisation of the waters of
this system, alone, which would,
incidentally, also benefit a large
area of Queensland to (he south
of the "Gympic line".
It is true that I lie streams
of Cape York Peninsula, includ
ing the Mitchell River, drain
much more water, annually, to
the Gulf of Carpentaria and the
Coral Sea than docs the com
bined Murray-Darling system.
But who will suggest that these
waters can be harnessed and uti
lised to better economic advant
age than those of the Darling
system? Or. for that matter, to
any substantial economic advant
age! I mention these points as
illustrating the need for thorough
hydrological investigation of
northern river systems, to'which
the Water Research Foundation
might well pay some attention.
In 1961, I addressed the Gov
ernment Parties' Food and Agri
culture Committee on the sub
ject of northern development in
(he course of which I classified
Peninsula areas, lo the north of
the Mitchell River, as amongst
the most inferior northern cattlc
country, with very limited po
tential. Senator Scott was in the
chair and, from his contribution
to the ensuing discussion, I
gained the impression that he was
not in disagreement with my
classification of the Peninsula.
In view of this, I can only regard
his reported statement to the
seminar that "the Cape York
area would soon be able to carry
about 5 million cattle compared
with about 100.000 at present"
as both astonishing and erron
eous.
Based on some years of close
economic study of the beef po
tential of (he North f assessed
the cattle potential of the Gulf
Peninsula region (north and
west of a line drawn from Moss
man through Chillagoe-Rich
mond-Cloncurry-Mt Tsa to Ca
mooweal) at two million head,
with an average annual turn-off
of half a million, compared with
the present 1.2 million and 240
thousand, respectively. Many
cattlemen in this region regard
my estimates ;ts being over-opti
mistic. They would certainly
question whether Cape York
Peninsula numbers could be
trebled let alone increased fifty
fold as suggested by Senator
Scott.
It might be well to remember
that much of the useable cattle
country of the Peninsula has
recently been purchased by
American investors who, appar
ently, have been assured of a
fabulous potential. They might
soon learn that my conserva
tism in estimating the true po
tential was not without justifi
cation.
Most importantly, our Asian
friends in Canberra's diplomatic
community could, quite under
standably, gain a very wrong im
pression of the northern poten
tial from these reported state
ments in The Canberra Times,
which has a reputation for cor
rect reporting. In view of this,
I suggest my comments merit
publication.
J. H. KELLY
33 Froggatt St., Turner.
$