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Australia`s Future
There are several major events that are likely to take place in Australia within the next few years.
Even though Australia voted in 1999 to keep a monarchy the result was very close. The option of republicanism available in that ballot was widely seen as not entirely democratic because the president would be appointed by the government. It is almost inevitable, within the next few years, that when a fairer means of electing a President is put before the Australian voters Australia will become a republic.
Australia already does a roaring trade in tourism. People pay huge sums to make excursions in to the wild outback a lot of them to see the world famous Aboriginal art. The outback is one of the few remaining frontiers to mankind and so the more intrepid will increasingly want to visit and explore it. Also the small rainforest on the Queensland coast is popular attraction along with the Great Barrier Reef. Revenue from outback and eco-tourism will continue to grow strongly in Australia in the years to come.
As oil and gas begin to run out Australia can increasingly fall back on solar power. The conditions, especially in the outback, are perfect due to Australias exasperatingly hot and sunny climate.
Fast rail links are being developed and built in the South East of Australia connecting Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne that should significantly improve internal transport in the part of Australia where the roads and airways are very overcrowded.
Australia provided the main policing force when Timor fell apart in 1999. If all of Indonesia begins to fragment (which looks imminent) then Australia as the regional power will probably be the first to be required to send an army in, as Indonesia is dangerously close to Australia`s north coast.
Gradually Australia will separate from Britain ,as it has started to do with the proposition to abandon the monarchy, and continue to make stronger links with Asia where a good deal of the new immigrant population come from.