"For the foreseeable future coal is the foundation of prosperity" I take that to mean 'Coal will provide the prosperity that takes Australia forward', rather t

"For the foreseeable future coal is the foundation of prosperity" I take that to mean 'Coal will provide the prosperity that takes Australia forward', rather than 'Coal will continue to provide our electricity'. i.e. We should invest in Coal, train our children to mine for it, research new ways of producing it, at the expense of other fields like high tech.