The primary steps have been made in direction of having the cultural landscapes of Queensland’s Cape York Peninsula listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Web site.
The Australian and Queensland Governments, in partnership with Cape York Conventional Proprietor teams, have nominated to recognise and shield the Cape York area’s complicated pure surroundings and wealthy Indigenous tradition which continues at present.
Alwyn Lyall, Possum & Kuku Warra, says, ‘I welcome the World Heritage Tentative Listing of my ancestors’ nation and existence. Cultural heritage is of nice significance to me, Australia, and future generations. We welcome the chance to be heard’.
Wuthathi Nation dunes and lagoons | Picture due to Australian Authorities (DCCEEW)
Defending Nation and Tradition
A UNESCO World Heritage itemizing would give international recognition to the Cape York Peninsula as an space of irreplaceable significance that must be protected for future generations.
The realm’s cultural historical past contains tens of hundreds of years of Conventional Proprietor beliefs, customs, and practices. Rock artwork may be discovered throughout the area which particulars these beliefs, practices, and connections to Nation.
‘The tentative itemizing of Cape York Peninsula follows an in depth interval of session and knowledge gathering throughout the group and at present we have fun reaching this milestone with stakeholders’, says the Hon Leanne Linard MP, Queensland Minister for the Surroundings and the Nice Barrier Reef. ‘As a part of this tentative itemizing course of, I’ve been lucky to go to some very particular places on Cape York Peninsula and see necessary cultural and pure websites by means of the eyes of the standard homeowners, who’ve lived on these lands for tens-of-thousands of years, and listened to their tales’.
The Peninsula can also be residence to 18.5% of Australian plant species, and over 300 threatened species, together with the Inexperienced sawfish, Cape York rock wallaby, and Southern cassowary.
Archer River within the Oyala Thumotang NP | Picture due to Australian Authorities (DCCEEW)
A Lengthy Journey to World Heritage Itemizing
The nomination to Australia’s UNESCO World Heritage Tentative Listing is step one in a years-long World Heritage nomination course of. As a part of the method, nations should submit their ‘Tentative Listing’ – locations they think about to be of cultural and/or pure heritage. The World Heritage Committee gained’t think about a nomination for a heritage itemizing until it’s first been included on the nation’s Tentative Listing.
The method shall be an ongoing partnership between Conventional House owners and the federal and Queensland governments, in session with the area people as nicely.
Reasonably than nominating your entire Cape York Peninsula, seven totally different areas have been named for the Tentative Listing:
- Alwal Nationwide Park
- KULLA / McIlwraith Vary Nationwide Park
- Ma’alpiku / Restoration Island Nationwide Park
- Olkola Nationwide Park
- Oyala Thumotang Nationwide Park
- Quinkan Nation
- Wuthathi / Shelburne Bay Nationwide Park
UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee could have the last word say as as to if these areas meet the set standards and are included on the World Heritage Listing.
Queensland presently has 5 UNESCO World Heritage-listed areas; Okay’gari / Fraser Island, Nice Barrier Reef, Gondwana Rainforests of Australia, Riversleigh fossil website, and the Moist Tropics of Queensland.
Characteristic picture due to Australian Authorities (DCCEEW)
