For Australia to be any sort of force in the future we MUST make...

For Australia to be any sort of force in the future we MUST make what we have been blessed with last longer, using it more wisely & realise we as a Nation must diversify into other fields for nothing lasts forever.
One industry that springs to mind was BHPs Electrolytic Manganese which began in late 80s, they used to sell the Manganese Ore overseas for $200/tonne but then Australia would buy back the finished product back processed for 10 fold the price. After the process BHP was selling Electrolytic MnO2 for $2000/tonne, they have since sold to a South African Company.
But it just goes to show if a Government gives incentives to Companies as did Hawke/Keating did with 150% R&D rebate. Australia has the ability to add substantially to existing methods, to produce more varying industries that future generations will thank us for developing instead of looking back at us & saying we were greedy bastarrds thinking of the here & now.
We do NOT have a god given right to just dig up the ground & sell it for what we can, not giving a damn about the future is a very self absorbed attitude that will surely be to the detriment of future generations.
Prove we can be smart national wealth needs to be shared with everyone starting with health & education, many a child born into families without the means having had no choice other than to take any job offered to them, instead of being supported to stay in free education to make a difference.
If we don't change this current way of thinking we won't have to think of our future someone else will do it for us & what we want will be immaterial.