Many individual citizens go into the countryside at great...

Many individual citizens go into the countryside at great expense to themselves to dig up gold out of the ground lets call those people (A) I think that shows great initiative - Australians "laying claim" to minerals belonging to everyone

for myself I prefer to pay someone to dig those minerals up out of the ground on my behalf as i think miners do a much better job - lets call those people (B)

and then there are others who just sit by the side of the road with a cup in their hand who want (A) and (B) to pay and/or work for their share. we can call that group (C)

why should group (C) get their fair share?

In fact if we carve up all the crown land remaining and divvie that up as well, whats the difference? its all dirt after all, why should we stop at just the minerals themselves?

in reality shareholders and financiers get the minerals out of the ground and carry all the risk - no money, no mine

and in some cases, the mine opens at great expense only to discover its not viable

I am happy to share my profits if only someone would share in my losses when a mine I invested in went belly up