THE Budj Bim cultural landscape at Condah will be nominated as Victoria’s number one priority for world heritage listing.
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Premier Daniel Andrews visited the area on Friday to make the announcement and to meet with Gunditj Mirring Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation.
Budj Bim has the only remains of Aboriginal stone houses found in Australia, as well as a sophisticated system of channels, fishtraps and weirs used for farming eels for at least 6,600 years.
It is described as the world’s oldest freshwater aqua-culture system.
The United Nations' World Heritage Committee meets annualy to determine which nominations it will accept. Before any site is accepted, it must be on a national list for at least 12 months.
If successful, Budj Bim will be the twentieth place to be recognised in Australia, and the first for exclusively Aboriginal cultural values.
Premier Andrews said Budj Bim was a special place and he was confident it would gain the “world heritage listing is so thoroughly deserves”.
“Hopefully this site can gain and have in place that heritage listing by 2018-19,” he said.
“This is 2000 years older than the pyramids and 4000 years older than Stonehenge.
“We’ve got wonderful local members of gundijmara who are able to tell us the stories and show us an guide us through this special place.
“It’s only appropriate we do everything we can to make sure everyone across Victoria, Australia and indeed the world recognises and knows just how precious this is.”
Mr Andrews said world heritage listing would be an economic driver for local indigenous people and tourism driver for the state.
“If we can secure world heritage listing and invest in this landscape to make it a little bit more accessible we can can have more tourists come and visit and share in the magic and absolute wonderment of an ancient story,” he said.
“This is about economic development and advancement of local indigenous people.
“But it’s also about all of us being much closer to the story of this land.”
Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Natalie Hutchins said the government would work with the traditional owners and the Federal Government to ensure Budj Bim gets the recognition it deserves.
