Chapter 175: Chapter 169: Cyclones and Typhoons

Shortly after the location of the royal palace was determined, preparations and construction began immediately. The construction of the royal palace will employ at least 20,000 Indigenous Peoples and thousands of Australian workers and building experts.

The construction period is expected to last about three years, mainly because the hills and lakes within the palace grounds take up nearly half of the area. They don’t need to be modified, just some enhancement around the lakes and the addition of railings will suffice.

The square is also relatively simple to construct, as these three locations occupy more than half of the total area of the royal palace, which is why the construction period is so short.

The only part that requires significant effort to construct is the main palace building, which is also the most important and core area of the entire palace. However, with so many Indigenous Peoples providing labor, the construction period can be guaranteed. If the construction goes smoothly, the entire construction period can be shortened.

The royal palace is about ten kilometers away from the City of Sydney, not too far away, and the western mountain military training area is also not too far, just less than thirty kilometers away.

After the area of the palace was determined, the government began looking for a site for the Administrative Building. Due to its proximity to the palace, the Administrative Building was finally settled on the eastern side of the palace, closer to the city center of Sydney.

The new Administrative Building was named the Australian Government Council, a H-shaped building with the government office district on the west side, the Offices of the Houses of Parliament on the east side, and various large conference rooms and relaxation areas in the middle.

The Administrative Council is less than two kilometers away from the palace, and all cabinet officials are generally provided with government edition Benz One cars.

In case of emergency, these government officials can ensure that they can arrive at the palace for a meeting within fifteen minutes, and it is also convenient for Arthur to go to the Administrative Council.

The Administrative Council is funded by the government, and the land area is not very large. Including the attached gardens, fountains, and small squares, it covers only about 40,000 square meters.

The government’s budget for the project is 200,000 pounds, which is more than enough for a building dedicated to the government and parliament.

The new Administrative Council government area will have as many as 300 offices, capable of accommodating the entire Australian Government to work there.

The central meeting area has about two large conference rooms and more than ten medium-sized conference rooms, which are enough to accommodate large meetings from various departments of the government and parliament.

In the future, there will be no more awkward situations where parliamentary and cabinet meetings are held in the same place. Both the parliament and the government will have their core meeting rooms for their respective institutions.

The construction period of the Administrative Council is relatively short, and along with the peripheral square, garden, fountain, and other facilities, it is expected to be completed within less than two years.

Even if the construction speed is faster, this construction period could be shortened to about a year and a half.

This means that the current cabinet will definitely be able to work in the new Administrative Council, becoming the first cabinet to enjoy the new office area.

From mid-October 1903, the construction of the Australian Royal Palace and the Australian Government Administrative Council started one after another. They are expected to be completed by the end of 1906 and mid-1905, respectively, and officially put into use.

When these two pieces of news were published in the Victoria Newspaper and the Australia Daily, the reaction of the Australian people was one of joy and inevitability.

Everyone believes that the construction of the Royal Palace is inevitable and justified. Australians are very respectful and fond of Arthur, who spends funds on improving the lives of Australians rather than improving the lives of the royal family. Some Australians even think that the construction of the palace is too small and should call for donations to the royal family from everyone.

This even caused a response from many Australians and only ended after Arthur appeared and announced that the royal family was not short of funds, expressing his gratitude for the people’s affection.

The reaction to the Administrative Council was not as intense, but Australians still think it is only natural for the government to change to a new office and show a supportive attitude towards it.

Afterwards, the construction of the Royal Palace and Administrative Council entered a slow but smooth rhythm, and Arthur welcomed a period of relaxed leisure days.

On October 29th, 1903, in a deep-sea area off the southern coast of Australia.

Originally a calm ocean, due to various reasons, a cyclone gradually formed and became larger, driven by various factors, and began moving towards the east of Australia.

This phenomenon, known as a cyclone in Australia, would be recognized by future generations as a typhoon.

At this moment, the people of Australia and New Zealand were unaware that a fierce disaster was about to occur.

November 7,1903, Australia, Sydney, Manor House.

Arthur’s door was knocked on, and at the same time, the anxious voice of Hunter Steward came from outside the room: “Your Highness, there’s trouble!”

Arthur was instantly awakened, tumbling out of bed and hastily putting on his clothes before opening the door.

This familiar scene made Arthur feel uneasy, and his heart thumped at the recognition of the significance of the event taking place at three o’clock in the morning.

“What happened, Hunter Steward?” Arthur asked urgently.

“Your Highness! A massive cyclone has been spotted off the eastern coast of Australia, and it’s heading towards us at an alarming speed. This is a disaster for Australia, and I implore Your Highness to prepare for the relief of refugees in advance,” Hunter Steward said anxiously.

Given the current technological advances of mankind, natural disasters are seen as divine punishment that cannot be avoided, or even predicted.

No one is sure how big of a disaster this enormous typhoon will bring to Australia. Perhaps the typhoon will just brush past, or it could ravage the coastline.

Immediately notify the Cabinet to hold an emergency meeting. Hunter Steward, have the royal financial group prepare enough relief supplies to support the upcoming relief efforts. Have the military pause their training to be on standby for rescue missions,” Arthur ordered swiftly.

Arthur knew that if the typhoon could be detected, it wasn’t far from Australia, and it might arrive in the blink of an eye.

That also meant it would be impossible to evacuate people now, as the storm might start wreaking havoc before they even received the evacuation order.

At the moment, the most important thing is to prepare for the rescue operation in advance and minimize the casualties in Australia.

“The Cabinet members are already here, waiting outside the manor,” answered Hunter Steward.

“Let them go to the meeting room immediately for the meeting. Also, have the royal financial group start preparing for relief work. I want the military to be ready before noon and begin operations,” Arthur said decisively.

With that, he hurried to the meeting room without hesitating.

Ten minutes later, in the manor’s meeting room.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I believe you all know the situation. What preparations should the government make?” Arthur asked as soon as everyone was present.

“Your Highness, if the cyclone doesn’t cause casualties in Australia, that’s good. However, if it does, we need to be prepared for relief, medical treatment, consolation, and resettlement. Even maintaining public order needs to be prepared in advance, as people tend to panic during disasters, and we cannot afford to neglect security,” Prime Minister Evan replied first.

As long as casualties occur, the most important thing for refugees is to receive timely treatment and relief.

This is a measure that is beneficial to their physical and mental well-being and is what a government should do for its people.

“Regardless of whether this cyclone will cause casualties in Australia, I believe we should prepare in advance. No one can guarantee the specifics, so we must plan for every possibility,” Prime Minister Evan continued.

“I have already ordered the military to halt their training and prepare to enter the disaster-stricken areas for rescue missions. The royal family will also distribute large amounts of relief supplies to the refugees. I hope all departments can cooperate and help the Australian people get through this disaster,” Arthur said.