Flinders Ranges World Heritage bid submitted

The Australian Government has submitted the nomination to UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre in Paris. The nomination has been accepted, meaning a decision on the listing could be made as early as 2027.

The nominated area spans over 58,000 hectares and comprises key sections within Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park, Vulkathunha-Gammon Ranges National Park, Nilpena Ediacara National Park and pastoral leases including Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary.

The 368-page submission has nearly 4,000 pages of supporting materials and follows a decade-long body of work highlighting the region’s geological and palaeontological significance and deep Adnyamathanha cultural significance.

The Flinders Ranges is the only place where the continuous formation of Earth’s earliest complex animal life between 672 to 510 million years ago can be observed through three geological periods – Cryogenian, Ediacaran and Cambrian.

This includes the world’s most comprehensive records of Ediacaran fossils with more than 40 species at Nilpena Ediacara National Park, which has been expanded by 26,000 hectares.

To bolster the nomination, the Department for Environment and Water (DEW), in partnership with the Australian Government and Foundation for National Parks and Wildlife, has acquired land from the Angorichina Pastoral Lease to add a further 4,500 hectares to Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park.

Purchase of Balcoracana Paddock was supported with $412,000 from the Australian Government’s $25 million Protecting Important Biodiversity Areas Program. The property will contribute to Australia’s commitment to protect and conserve 30 percent of our land by 2030.

The expansions to both national parks will support native species such as dunnarts, quolls, snakes and lizards and facilitate conservation work to protect the endangered yellow-footed rock wallaby and thick-billed grasswren.

It comes as the region has been named one of the world’s top places to visit – the only Australian place to make this year’s Lonely Planet list.

UNESCO requires World Heritage bids be supported and consented to by all relevant First Nations communities.

In June, the Adnyamathanha Common Law Holders provided their consent to the Flinders Ranges being assessed for World Heritage status.

Adnyamathanha representatives, including members of national parks co-management boards and the Adnyamathanha Traditional Lands Association, have met regularly to discuss the World Heritage bid.

DEW Park Planning and Visitor Experience Director, Jason Irving, said pursuing World Heritage listing for the Flinders Ranges provides an exciting opportunity to recognise this incredible landscape on a global scale.

“World Heritage listing offers an exciting opportunity to celebrate the region’s outstanding geology and fossil features, and its rich cultural and environmental values," Mr Irving said.

“It will also stimulate economic benefits for the Flinders Ranges, which is already an international tourist drawcard, with some of our most iconic national parks slated for World Heritage listing.”

Adnyamathanha Senior Elder Charles Jackson OAM said Adnyamathanha people had made a major contribution to this project through endorsement of the nomination, providing important cultural information so that Adnyamathanha was front and centre on the world stage.

“This contribution is crucial and represents an example of working together during a time when there are lots of challenges for Aboriginal people," Mr Jackson said.

“I’d like to give my personal congratulations to all Adnyamathanha people for coming together to work on this nomination.”