Councillors from Ballarat and Bendigo have come together this week to discuss advancements in the Central Victorian Goldfields UNESCO World Heritage Listing bid.
Bendigo Mayor Cr Margaret O’Rourke and Ballarat Mayor Cr Samantha McIntosh joined the Heritage Advisory Committees from both areas for a panel on the 13-council World Heritage listing bid, followed by a Q&A session.
A walking tour of Ballarat’s cultural landscape followed, including Reid’s Guest House, the Federation University Justice Building in Camp Street, Hop Temple laneway and the Ballarat Trades Hall building.
Cr McIntosh said the session allowed her to outline productive discussions held in early June when she attended the 15th Organization of World Historical Cities Congress in Krakow, Poland.
“I spoke to many people at the Congress who will be able to give us the vital advice and support we need to help us advance our bid in a faster timeframe than we first anticipated,” Cr McIntosh said.
“In Poland, we confirmed we have the International Council on Monuments and Sites Sustainable Tourism Committee visiting the region next year which is absolutely fantastic news that I was able to discuss with my Bendigo counterparts today.
“It was wonderful to be able to show the Bendigo councillors and community members around our beautiful city, and some of the historic sites that demonstrate the gold rush era in Ballarat.
ICOMOS is a non-government, international organisation dedicated to the conservation and protection of cultural heritage places.
It is one of the two advisory bodies who provide the World Heritage Committee with evaluations of the cultural and natural sites nominated for World Heritage Listing.
ICOMOS will tour the entire Central Goldfields area to help assess how we best leverage the bid which, if successful, is predicted to add $68 million annually to the region’s economy.
