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DURING THE WORLD HERITAGE COMMITTEE MEETING AT THE LAST WEEK

- THE GREAT BARRIER, REEF, THE IN ARNHEM LAND, AND THE IN WESTERN N.S.W. WERE INSCRIBED ON THE WORLD HERITAGE LIST,

THIS LIST IS MADE UP OF NATURAL SITES AND MAN-MADE PROPERTIES WHICH ARE JUDGED BY THE COMMITTEE, USING THE HIGHEST STANDARDS, TO BE OF OUTSTANDING UNIVERSAL VALUE TO THE WHOLE OF MANKIND,

THE SITES AND PROPERTIES PREVIOUSLY ON THE LIST RANGE FROM THE PYRAMIDS IN EGYPT TO THE GRAND CANYON IN THE UNITED STATES, FROM THE PALACE OF VERSAILLES TO THE KATMANDU VALLEY, AND FROM THE ANCIENT CITY OF DAMASCUS TO THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS IN EQUADOR,

THE BARRIER REEF, THE KAKADU PARK AND THE WILLANDRA LAKES REGION ARE WORTHY ADDITIONS TO A LIST WHICH NOW NUMBERS 111 SITES AND PROPERTIES RIGHT AROUND THE WORLD

- AND TWO OTHER PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT ADDITIONS TO THE LIST AT THE SYDNEY MEETING WERE THE FAMOUS SERENGETI GAME PARK IN TANZANIA, AND THE GLACIERS NATIONAL PARK, A VAST ALPINE AREA AND GLACIER IN ARGENTINA,

THE WORLD HERITAGE COMMITTEE ITSELF IS MADE UP OF 21 OF THE 61 COUNTRIES WHICH ARE SIGNATORIES TO THE U.N. WORLD HERITAGE CONVENTION, 2.

THE WORLD HERITAGE COMMITTEE FIRST MET IN PARIS IN 1977

- AND THE FACT THAT THE 1981 MEETING WAS HELD IN THIS COUNTRY IS A TRIBUTE TO 'S CONCERN FOR CONSERVATION AND FOR THE ENVIRONMENT,

THE OFFICIAL UNESCO REPRESENTATIVE AT THE MEETING SPOKE IN GLOWING TERMS OF HOW MUCH AUSTRALIA IS DOING TO PRESERVE THE NATURAL AND CULTURAL HERITAGE

- AND OF THE CONSTANT DESIRE OF AUSTRALIA TO PROMOTE INTERNATIONAL CO-OPERATION IN THIS FIELD,

THE INTEREST OF AUSTRALIANS IN CONSERVATION AND HERITAGE ISSUES IS LONG-STANDING

- AND IT IS BROADLY BASED.

SOME FIELD NATURALIST CLUBS DATE BACK TO THE EARLY PART OF THIS CENTURY

- THE NATIONAL TRUST MOVEMENT HAS A MEMBERSHIP OF ABOUT 80,000

- AND THE TOTAL MEMBERSHIP OF NATURE CONSERVATION BODIES RUNS TO A QUARTER OF A MILLION,

THE COMMONWEALTH GOVERNMENT HAS PUT ITS WEIGHT BEHIND MANY MAJOR CONSERVATION AND HERITAGE INITIATIVES, 3,

- AND OUR CHILDREN WILL INHERIT A BETTER AUSTRALIA, AND TO AN EXTENT A BETTER WORLD, AS A RESULT OF WHAT THE GOVERNMENT HAS ACHIEVED,

WE PROHIBITED SAND MINING ON

- WE HAVE BANNED WHALING IN AUSTRALIAN WATERS AND HAVE SUPPORTED BANNING 'WHALING COMPLETELY

- WE HAVE SUBSTANTIALLY INCREASED GRANTS AND RESEARCH IN MARINE SCIENCE

- WE HAVE ACTED UPON THE REPORT OF THE FOX INQUIRY INTO URANIUM

- WE HAVE WORKED TOWARDS THE PRESERVATION OF ANTARCTICA AND THE PRESERVATION OF ANTARCTIC SEALS

- WE HAVE WORKED TO PROTECT MIGRATORY BIRDS AND ENDANGERED SPECIES AND FOR NATURE CONSERVATION IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC

- WE WERE THE FIRST PARTY TO THE CONVENTION ON WETLANDS OF INTERNATIONAL IMPORTANCE

- WE HAVE ESTABLISHED THE AUSTRALIANA FUND

- WE HAVE ASSISTED IN THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE WORLD WILDLIFE FUND IN AUSTRALIA, 4.

AUSTRALIA'S CONSERVATION STRATEGY, WHICH IS CONCERNED WITH THE BALANCE BETWEEN DEVELOPMENT AND CONSERVATION, IS EXPECTED TO BE FINALISED BY THE END OF 1982,

I WOULD ADD THAT IN THE FIVE YEARS TO JUNE THE AREA OF NATIONAL PARKLAND HAS MORE THAN DOUBLED, WITH NEW PARKS IN EVERY STATE AND TERRITORY OF AUSTRALIA

- AND THE TOTAL AREA OF 31 MILLION HECTARES IS ALMOST HALF AS BIG AGAIN AS THE ENTIRE AREA OF VICTORIA,

EVENTS SUCH AS THE SYDNEY MEETING OF THE WORLD HERITAGE COMVITTEE NOT ONLY PUT A WORLD SPOTLIGHT ON AUSTRALIA

- THEY ALSO HIGHLIGHT THE PRIDE YE CAN TAKE IN OUR GREAT COUNTRY

- AND OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE PASS ON TO OUR CHILDREN A HERITAGE AND ENVIRONMENT THAT IS JUST AS HEALTHY, BEAUTIFUL AND ENRICHING AS WE ENJOY OURSELVES,

Library Digitised Collections

Author/s: Fraser, Malcolm

Title: World Heritage Committee meeting, conservation

Date: 1 November 1981

Persistent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11343/40681

File Description: World Heritage Committee meeting, conservation

Terms and Conditions: Copyright courtesy of Malcolm Fraser. Contact the University of Melbourne Archives for permission requests.