Retiring member for Western Victoria Jaala Pulford has announced the Andrews state government will give $500,000 to the Victorian Goldfields Tourism Executive for its UNESCO World Heritage bid.
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In an announcement at the Maryborough Railway Station, Ms Pulford said the funding, approved by the ministers for planning and regional development, would help shortlist potential World Heritage sites in the Goldfields and create a regional investment masterplan.
In reflecting on the path to the heritage bid, Ms Pulford admitted to an audience of local councillors, CEOs and advisors present she had not really felt any emotional twinges until she stepped into the historic station and realised it was almost 15 years since the first steps towards the bid.
"Particularly here, in this spot, on this project, with all of you - some of you may know I grew up near Castlemaine before going to school in Bendigo then moving to Ballarat, so when Chris (Meddows-Taylor, CGSC mayor and chair of the Goldfields Tourism Executive) came to me with this project, he didn't really need to explain what it was," Ms Pulford said.
Growing up on a small holding in Muckleford South, Ms Pulford said the city dangers of traffic were replaced by those of living on the goldfields.
"When little kids go out to play, in lots of places they have watch for traffic ... our property was full of disused gold mines, and the school excursions from Bendigo were to European gold mines and Chinese gold mines ... all these things were a feature of my childhood.
"So it was about four weeks ago you had former premiers (John) Brumby and (Denis) Napthine releasing a plan for this project outlining the very great impacts World Heritage listing would bring, and we acknowledge that this will be working in partnership with all these councils, and that is an amazing thing in itself, being a driving force propelling this."
The area in the UNESCO bid covers about 40,000 square-kilometres north-west of Melbourne, comprising 13 local government areas making up the Central Victorian Goldfields. The $500,000 grant for the study is one of 38 projects awarded funding in the latest round of the state government's $20 million Regional Jobs and Infrastructure Fund.
"Tourism, which is at the heart of this business case, the industry capability that exists to deliver the settlement will need to be developed, in particular the marketing, and of course the Commonwealth Games will be a massive opportunity," Ms Pulford said.
"If we succeed here with this submission, it will have a profound impact for Western Victoria."
Cr Meddows-Taylor, acknowledged the contribution Ms Pulford had made to the bid over many years, saying the occasion, although happy, was tinged with sadness at her impending retirement from politics.
