Report claims big money in heritage bid

BACKERS of UNESCO World Heritage listing for the central Victorian Goldfields region met at Creswick last week to launch a report detailing the benefits a successful bid would have.

The City of Greater Bendigo is part of a campaign by 13 municipalities and the Victorian Goldfields Tourism Executive seeking $500,000 in State Government funding to shortlist potential World Heritage Sites in the area.

World Heritage Sites are chosen by members of UNESCO on the basis of cultural and historical significance with the aim of preserving the locations.

Mayor Cr Andrea Metcalf attended the event, and said will ensure ongoing economic support for the surrounding municipalities.

“World Heritage listing and World Heritage journeys in the Central Victorian Goldfields region will provide investment assurance,” she said.

“[W]hat will be most important in the immediate future is coordinating this investment to develop regional tourism offerings that complement and leverage World Heritage listing and ensure that we can share the benefits of increased tourism dollars across the region.”

The report estimated a local economic boost of $440 million, more than two million new visitors and 1750 new jobs for the region in the first decade of World Heritage listing.

The bid would need to be cleared by the Federal Government, and funding would go towards identifying sites and preparing a tourism masterplan for the region.

Co-patron for the campaign and former State Premier Denis Napthine said the impact of Heritage Listing would go beyond the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

“Both Ballarat and Bendigo are host cities for the Games and one of the key advantages of hosting the Games regionally is to further boost Victorian regional economies,” he said.

“However, investors need strong evidence of strong ongoing regional tourism in addition to the sugar hit from the two-week window of Games competition in order to justify significant investment in regional tourism accommodation and infrastructure.

“This assessment not only clearly demonstrates the case for World Heritage Listing but also proves to developers and businesses that when listing is achieved, this will deliver a strong steady stream of tourists filling local accommodation and supporting new and upgraded tourism product.”

The report was a collaborative effort prepared by TRC Tourism and government communications group Michael Connell and Associates.