World Heritage sustainable tourism project

Published on 03 July 2020

Twelve Central Victorian councils have welcomed $50,000 in State Government funding to help build the capacity of the region’s visitor economy, with improvements aimed at supporting a future World Heritage Listing bid for the Central Victorian Goldfields.

Loddon Shire Council is a partner in a campaign to place parts of the Central Victorian Goldfields, home to some of the world’s most significant gold rush-era sites, on the World Heritage list.

The funding, from the Victorian Government’s Stronger Regional Communities Program (SRCP) will support the development of a Sustainable Tourism Toolkit, which will help to identify gaps across the region to be addressed so that visitors will be encouraged to visit the entire region, meaning the tourist dollar can be shared.

The consortium of councils and project co-funder, the Victorian Goldfields Tourism Executive, will use the funds to conduct community and industry engagement across the Central Victorian goldfields region and bring in expert advice.

Civic leaders say the possibility of achieving a World Heritage Listing for the Central Victorian Goldfields was just the incentive needed to unlock the region’s full tourism and jobs potential, and to define the region as a significant tourism destination globally.

“This exciting development will help to bring us closer to realising the tourism potential of the region, including the gold rush history that is evident across Loddon Shire,” Loddon Shire Mayor, Cr Cheryl McKinnon said.

Loddon Shire is working towards developing a comprehensive, cohesive and compelling story that positions and promotes Loddon’s natural, historical and cultural assets.

Cr McKinnon, along with all local government partners, thanks the Victorian Government for recognising the unique potential of the Central Victorian Goldfields and its strong endorsement of the consortium’s regional development approach to the bid.

The consortium represents close to half a million people spread over nearly 40,000 square kilometres, 17% of the state. 

Local governments and the Victorian Goldfields Tourism Executive have collectively committed $200,000 over two years to progress the World Heritage Listing bid, which if successful, is conservatively estimated to deliver $25 million annually into the local economy. The region’s local governments are now working to identify further funding required to progress the bid.

The Central Victorian Goldfields World Heritage bid local government partners are: Ararat Rural City, Campaspe Shire, Central Goldfields Shire, City of Ballarat, City of Greater Bendigo, Golden Plains Shire, Hepburn Shire, Loddon Shire, Macedon Ranges Shire, Mount Alexander Shire, Northern Grampians Shire and Pyrenees Shire Councils.