PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS. 45 
be little development unless access to the metropolitan 
markets is rendered both cheap and easy, it is essential if 
the best is to be made of the river districts that these 
highways should be improved and maintained. 
During the past ten years, over five millions sterling have 
been expended in the construction of breakwaters, training 
walls, dredging, reclamations, snagging, wharfage, docks, 
and other works for the maintenance of navigation. Of 
this sum about one and a half millions have been spent on 
dredging. 
.The main principle adopted for the permanent improve- 
ment of the river entrances, namely, concentrated tidal 
scour by the construction of breakwaters and training 
walls has been eminently successful, and must eventually 
lead to a large reduction in the cost of dredging in the 
lower and unstable portions of the rivers, and enable the 
dredge plant to be utilised in deepening the upper parts, 
and greatly extending the limits of navigation. 
All the schemes now under construction for the improve- 
ment of the various river entrances have been commenced 
during the past ten years, with the exception of those at 
the Richmond, which were started in 1889. The following 
is a list of the harbour entrance works partially constructed: 
Tweed, Richmond, Clarence, Bellinger, Nambucca, Mac- 
leay, Hastings, Camden Haven, Manning, Cape Hawke, 
Newcastle, Port Kembla, Crookhaven, Bateman’s Bay, and 
Moruya. Of these, three are in accordance with the 
designs of the late Sir John Coode, with some modifications, 
the remainder being those of the Harbours and Rivers 
Branch. In the report of the Principal Engineer for Har- 
bours and Rivers for the year 1901-2, will be found par- 
ticulars of the improvements in the lower channels, which 
have been brought about by the construction of training 
walls, assisted in some cases by dredging. Information 
