At its September council meeting, Hepburn Shire Council formalised its involvement in the development of a collaborative bid for the World Heritage Listing (WHL). 

The council was approached by the City of Ballarat and the City of Greater Bendigo to allocate funding towards the bid, which involves 13 municipalities and five regional organisations, to build on the region’s major strengths. 

The bid will recognise and celebrate the goldfield’s unique history, heritage, character and experience, while assisting in driving the region’s economic regeneration while building pride and understanding in visitors.

Council awarded $3000 towards the proposal, which is expected to total between $150,000 and $200,000, while bigger councils like Ballarat are putting $30,000 towards it. This funding will go towards research, like a university study, which will build on the business case before a request for funding is put before the Victorian Government. 

The move comes after a Goldfields Heritage Development and Opportunity Summit in May 2017 and a follow up workshop on June 29, 2018. A key result of the workshop was the proposal to form a collaborative and inclusive approach towards the development of a WHL nomination, which would link the resources of the local government areas and organisations.

Deputy Mayor Don Henderson said a WHL would enhance and protect the cultural and historical significance of the area. 

“It has been discovered that the Central Goldfields area is the most significant goldfields left in the world. A lot of the areas in California have been destroyed but here, you can still see the mullock heaps, you can still see the water races and the remnants of the mines, like the heritage listed Berry No.1 Pumphouse.

“So when you look at it, it’s of international significance,” he said. “The two biggest nuggets found in the world were discovered in these goldfields, at Ballarat and Moliagul, so it’s very important.”

Cr Henderson said the WHL was not about locking gold prospectors and miners out of the area, but about celebrating the region’s significant cultural and industrial history while also encouraging tourism, which would, in turn, create jobs.

“We want to celebrate the responsible prospector who has ethics. There are many prospectors who go in with their metal detectors, they don’t dig up the soil or damage the creeks, so this is all about celebrating our goldfields with them as they will be part of the tourism experience.”

NOTE : The original version of this story said one of the worlds largest nuggets was found in Ullina. The correct place Cr Henderson named was Moliagul. This error was created in production.   We apologise for any confusion.