The impending excitement surrounding Dunolly’s Gold Rush Festival is a reminder of the relevance of our rich gold history today and in the future.
Recently a group of mayors led by the Mayors of Ballarat and the City of Greater Bendigo met in Creswick with the two Patrons of the central Victorian Goldfields World Heritage Listing Bid – the Hon John Brumby AO and the Hon Dennis Napthine AM, to release a new independent economic impact analysis of the benefits of World Heritage Listing (WHL) to our region.
The report concluded that “UNESCO World Heritage inscription will be a catalyst for economic and social revitalisation, it will strengthen the region’s identity and enrich its cultural and social capital. It will provide learning and education opportunities and will provide significant benefits for the nation.”
The study suggests that by the tenth year following World Heritage listing, in comparison to business-as-usual tourism growth, there would be:
– An additional 2.2 million new visitors to the region
– An additional $440 million spent in the local economy
– Growth in visitors related to the World Heritage bid alone will lead to 1,750 additional jobs
– Regional income (direct and indirect wages, salaries, and profits for business) would have increased by $150 million.
In addition global research shows WHL attracts new residents, adds to cultural diversity, supports regional revitalisation and critically leads to added investment to support the conservation and protection of our rich built heritage. It will enable continued prospecting and mining.
WHL will unlock significant future opportunity.
