News Alert |

What: Media briefing on invitation for City of Ballarat Mayor Samantha McIntosh to speak at the Third Regional Conference of the Organisation of World Heritage Cities Asia-Pacific in Suzhou, China. 

When: Friday 12 October, 1pm

Where: Ballarat Town Hall

Who: City of Ballarat Mayor Cr Samantha McIntosh, Golden Plains Shire Mayor Cr Helena Kirby and Pyrenees Shire Mayor Cr David Clark

The Central Highlands Council Victoria (CHCV) member councils have thrown their strong support behind City of Ballarat Mayor Samantha McIntosh being invited to the Third Regional Conference of the Organisation of World Heritage Cities Asia-Pacific in Suzhou, China. 

As CHCV Chair, the trip will allow Cr McIntosh to put forward a strong case in support of the bid by Ballarat and 12 other local government areas to secure a UNESCO World Heritage listing for the Victorian Goldfields region. 

Cr McIntosh will also be able to build relationships with UNESCO World Heritage cities and assessors which could prove invaluable to the Victorian Goldfields bid, which has been estimated to bring up to $68 million in economic benefits to the region.

Central Goldfields Shire CEO Lucy Roffey said:

“This trip is extremely important to our region. Key UNESCO representatives will be there, and we have been specifically invited by China – it’s really important we accept that invitation. The Central Goldfields Shire has been one of the key councils in this bid for a very long time and we understand the enormous benefits it will bring to our region, especially in tourism. It’s vital the whole region links up together and supports this bid.”

Pyrenees Shire Mayor David Clark said:

“This is a once in a generation opportunity for this area. This is a really significant opportunity for this region to get a World Heritage listing. For smaller regional councils like ours, this will be a huge boost to our economy and be a key to our future. It should also be recognised that the Mayor of Ballarat has not asked to attend but rather has been invited by UNESCO and this is a huge honour for her.”

Helena Kirby, Golden Plains Shire Mayor said:

“I think this trip is fantastic. We have a lot of history in our goldfields and it will bring an enormous lot of benefit to us. Having this World Heritage listing would really showcase the Golden Plains Shire and we’re very supportive of Ballarat Mayor Samantha McIntosh going on this trip and dealing with the people sitting on the UNESCO panel and making the recommendations on our bid.”