Chapter 26 Three-Year Industrial Plan

Australia is known as a country sitting on a mine cart. Although several famous large mineral deposits in Australia have not been discovered, Australia is also a country rich in mineral resources in terms of proven mineral resources.

As iron ore and coal mines are indispensable for industrial development, Australia has discovered several in the uninhabited areas in the west, with total reserves of 360 million tons and 1.9 billion tons respectively.

Perhaps these two figures are huge at first glance, but compared with Australia's proven iron ore reserves of 15 billion tons and 900 billion tons, this figure is only a fraction of a fraction.

But compared with other countries of this era, Australia's proven mineral resources are already very large.

Even according to the current steel production of the British Empire, Australia's iron ore is enough for Britain to consume for thirteen years.

Although the steel production of the British Empire will not remain unchanged, it is impossible for Australia to catch up with Britain's steel production without a few years or even ten years.

This also means that even if Australia is now working hard to develop its industry, it will definitely not run out of mineral resources in more than ten years.

However, as a country with abundant mineral resources, Australia can only lack funds, equipment and talents at any time, rather than minerals that can be found everywhere.

"Minister Pierre, please tell me your plan in detail." Pierre Silvio Berlusconi's proposal was also Arthur's plan, so Arthur said to Minister Pierre with a little interest.

"Your Highness, there are a lot of mineral resources in the uninhabited areas in the west of our country, among which coal and iron ore are essential resources for industrial development. I propose that, first of all, we build a large-scale industrial production base in the uninhabited areas in the west, and use the equipment provided by Your Highness to increase our steel production to at least 100,000 tons and 200,000 tons in three years. At the same time, we use the steel we produce to lay railways between the western industrial zone and our city and build a transportation network. After three years, when our steel production has reached a new stage, it will not be too late to seek science and technology industries." Seeing that Arthur was very interested in his proposal, Minister Pierre spoke louder.

"Minister Pierre, your plan is to increase steel production first, and put the rest aside for now, right?" Arthur asked with a smile.

Increasing steel production may be difficult for other backward countries, but it is actually very simple for Australia.

Australia has 50 million pounds worth of industrial equipment from the UK, which are carefully selected by Arthur, including some basic industrial equipment such as steelmaking furnaces.

The advantage of this is that Australia can quickly master the use of these industrial equipment. Once they are fully digested and used well, Australia can rank among the top 20 industrial countries in the world.

"No, Your Highness. My proposal is that we should give priority to the development of basic industries including steel mills. This does not mean that we have to give up other industrial development in a short period of time. I think the ultimate goal of Australia's industry is to develop into an industrial circle that independently researches and produces and forms a complete system. I think that the ultimate goal of science and technology industries, including military factories and shipyards, is to achieve independent research and development and production. Therefore, while developing basic industries, we need to introduce talents from Europe on a large scale to fill the talent gap caused by our backward education foundation. From the industrial level, the development of industry and the attraction of talents must be carried out at the same time." Minister Pierre said.

Australia still has huge advantages compared to some countries that are also seeking development.

Because of the same race and the geographical location far away from Europe, Australia basically has no major conflicts with all European countries and can attract advanced technology and talents from various European countries.

What Minister Pierre said is actually to require Australia to have the ability to independently develop advanced technology and equipment in the future, rather than only importing from Europe.

This means that Australia must attract a large number of talents from Europe, otherwise independent research will only be empty talk.

Arthur nodded. Minister Pierre, as a talent sent to Australia by the British Empire before, should not be underestimated.

If introducing equipment to develop basic industries is the present, then attracting talents to enhance R&D capabilities is seeking the future.

For a great power that wants to rise or even dominate, the country's independent R&D capabilities at the scientific and technological level are indispensable.

If a country's advanced industrial products can only rely on imports from abroad, then even if the country relies on importing a large number of advanced equipment and greatly improves its strength, it will still be controlled by others and cannot truly become a powerful country.

"Minister Pierre, what are our current steel productions?" Arthur asked.

It has to be said that the colonial period was also the period with the largest gap between Western countries and backward countries.

When the steel production of Western countries has exceeded millions or even reached tens of millions, the island country, a country that will rely on reform to ascend to the throne of the great powers in the future, has a steel production of only a little over a thousand tons.

The situation in Australia will be better, but only a little bit. Because of the large number of iron ore and coal mines, Britain established small-scale steel mills in Australia.

"Your Highness, last year the annual steel production of the six states was about 3,700 tons, and the pig iron production was 5,000 tons." Pierre said without hesitation.

These data are the real data of Australia that he learned during this week. Because he knew that these data would be used, Minister Pierre remembered them very well.

"I will give you three years to triple Australia's steel production every year. Can you do it?" Arthur looked at the confident Minister Pierre and asked with a smile.

It is not an easy task to triple every year. It may be simple in the first year, but the difficulty will increase exponentially in the second year.

Three times of 5,000 tons of pig iron is 15,000 tons, and three times of 15,000 tons is 45,000 tons.

Not to mention the last year, three times of 45,000 tons will reach nearly 140,000 tons, and the total steel production will reach about 250,000 tons.

"No problem, Your Highness! As long as you give me sufficient funds and equipment, I promise to triple the steel production every year in these three years." Minister Pierre answered decisively without hesitation.

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