248 NEW SOUTH WALES. 



Hitherto irrigation lias been carried on in the coastal district in 

 comparatively few places, and on a very moderate scale. The results 

 have, however, been sufficient to indicate fairly the direction in which 

 further development may be expected. The alluvial deposits along 

 courses of the coastal rivers and their tributaries are in many, if not 

 most cases underlaid by drift and boulders in which good supplies of 

 water can be obtained. There is a strong probability that water derived 

 from such sources will play an important part in future irrigation. 

 Water can be obtained direct from the rivers and streams in many 

 places by pumping, and in a few by gravitation ; but as the coastal 

 rivers rise and fall rapidly, and their range of surface level is generally 

 great, there is considerable risk and expense with either method. 



The question of drainage is more important than that of irrigation, 

 so far as the coastal district is concerned. Extensive areas of low- 

 lying swampy land are found near the mouths of the majority of the 

 rivers, and in some cases extending to a long distance up their courses. 

 These tracts of swampy land are, as a rule, adjacent to the tidal 

 portions of the river, and they are generally composed of rich deposits 

 washed down from the higher parts of the river basins. The early 

 settlers soon discovered the richness of these delta lands, and all the 

 parts easily accessible were soon taken up. As a large proportion of 

 the delta lands were subject to inundation from the rivers, while in 

 addition there were extensive areas which were more or less liable to 

 be affected by tidal waters, the necessity for drainage works was 

 obvious. It proved, however, that legislation was necessary to authorise 

 the construction of such works, and to compel all landowners who bene- 

 fited by them to contribute to their first cost and cost of maintenance 

 in proportion to the benefits received. Hence the " Drainage Promo- 

 tion Act " was passed, an Act which has been of very considerable 

 service, particularly on the alluvial lands of the Macleay, Hunter, and 

 Shoalhaven Rivers. 



Notwithstanding the fact that the alluvial lands of the coast district 

 are, as a rule, of great fertility, and that the means of carrying out 

 drainage works by co-operative effort have been available for more 

 than thirty years, the progress made with the drainage and reclama- 

 tion of lands subject to inundation has been comparatively small. 

 Doubtless this is in a large measure accounted for by the immense 

 areas of land available for settlement which did not require such 

 labour and expenditure as are involved in the construction and main- 

 tenance of a system of drains. As labour has become more abundant, 

 and labour-saving appliances are more efficient and better understood, 

 there is a near prospect of a more extended effort being made to utilise 

 to the best advantage the extensive areas of deep and fertile soil 

 which only require systematic drainage, and the produce from which 

 will, in most cases, have the great advantage of water carriage. The 

 best evidences of the results of successful drainage are to be seen on 

 some of the larger properties, where swamps which were of little or no 

 value, have been converted into first-class land for pasturage or agri- 

 culture. Enough has been done to indicate the importance of the 

 question of drainage and reclamation and to give some idea of the 

 great development which will result from systematic and wcll-con- 

 sidcred action. 



