Where are we at?
Steps to achieving World Heritage
Getting World Heritage status for Victoria’s Goldfields is a detailed and constantly evolving process. It’s managed by UNESCO and follows international rules set out in the World Heritage Convention.
The key steps include:
1. Tentative Listing
Australia must first include the Victorian Goldfields on its Tentative List. The Victorian Goldfields has to be on this list for at least 1 year before the next step can be undertaken
Completed January 2025.
2. Preliminary Assessment *NEW*
Preliminary Assessment is a desk-based process which builds upon information provided during the Tentative Listing phase to help ensure that a proposed nomination is making the strongest possible case for World Heritage Listing.
It provides for increased collaboration with World Heritage assessors to explore a proposed nomination’s claim to Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), ensures protection and management requirements are to the necessary standard, and addresses issues of authenticity and integrity.
Ultimately, the decision to move forward with a nomination rests with the Commonwealth Government, whatever the result of the Preliminary Assessment process.
From 2027, the Preliminary Assessment process will be mandatory for all proposed World Heritage nominations.
A country can only make one Preliminary Assessment application per year.
September 2026 is the earliest the Australian Government can submit this request.
3. Preparation of Nomination Dossier
If the Victorian Goldfields is given the go ahead, a comprehensive dossier is prepared, detailing the site’s Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), integrity, authenticity, and management systems.
4. Submission to UNESCO
The nomination is submitted to the World Heritage Centre by the deadline (usually February 1 each year).
The earliest this can happen is 1 February 2029.
5. Evaluation by Advisory Bodies
The dossier is assessed by advisory bodies such as ICOMOS (for cultural sites) or IUCN (for natural sites), which may include site visits and expert reviews.
This takes at least 18 months to complete.
6. Recommendation
The advisory bodies make a recommendation to the World Heritage Committee, which can be to inscribe, defer, refer, or not inscribe the site.
7. Decision by the World Heritage Committee
The Committee meets annually to make the final decision on inscription, based on the dossier and evaluations.
The earliest this can happen is July 2030
8. Post-Inscription Monitoring
Once listed, the site must be regularly monitored and reported on to ensure its OUV is maintained.