World Heritage designation
Riversleigh is a designated World Heritage area in recognition of its value as a discovery site for many of Australia’s most extraordinary mammal animal fossils.
Riversleigh (Queensland) and Naracoorte (South Australia) were jointly inscribed on the World Heritage List as Australian Fossil Mammal Sites in 1994.
Riversleigh meets two of the ten World Heritage criteria:
- Outstanding examples representing major stages of earth’s history.
- Outstanding examples representing significant ongoing ecological and biological processes.
The core purpose of the Riversleigh World Heritage Advisory Committee is to provide expert advice to ensure that Australia continues to meet its obligations under the World Heritage Convention to protect, conserve and present this World Heritage property.
The Committee comprises esteemed members highly accomplished in Palaeontology, Earth & Environmental Sciences; the Australian World Heritage Advisory Committee; the Queensland Department of Environment; and Waanyi representatives.
Professor Michael Archer, renowned Palaeontologist specialising in Australian vertebrates, and member of the Riversleigh World Heritage Advisory Committee:
“Making Riversleigh into a World Heritage Area involved recognition of the enormous importance of these fossil deposits in terms of helping us understand the history of this continent and enabling us to use these fossils to help save Australia’s endangered living animals.”
Committee purpose
The Riversleigh World Heritage Advisory Committee provides advice to the Australian and Queensland Government Ministers responsible for World Heritage matters and assists in meeting obligations under the World Heritage Convention and the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. These obligations include identifying, protecting, conserving, presenting and transmitting to future generations the Outstanding Universal Value of the World Heritage property.
Each State Party to this Convention recognizes that the duty of ensuring the identification, protection, conservation, presentation and transmission to future generations of the cultural and natural heritage referred to in Articles 1 and 2 and situated on its territory, belongs primarily to that State.
Committee members
The Committee includes esteemed members highly accomplished in palaeontology, earth and environmental sciences; the Queensland Department of Environment, Science and Innovation; and Waanyi People, the traditional owners of the land. The Committee’s Chair and Executive Officer represent the Committee on the Australian World Heritage Advisory Committee.
Key contributors
Members: Waanyi Prescribed Body Corporate, Lawn Hill Pastoral Holding Company, Mount Isa City Council, Palaeontology, Geology, Archaeology, Anthropology, Southern Gulf Natural Resource Management, Burketown Community.
Standing invitees: Department of Environment, Science and Innovation; Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (World Heritage Unit); Queensland Museum; Tourism and Events Queensland; Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (Federal); Australian Fossil Mammals Sites Naracoorte.
Ongoing Involvement: University of New South Wales; Museum of Tropical Queensland/James Cook University; Riversleigh Fossil Discovery Centre; Waanyi Joint Venture (various members); Dinosaur Experiences Australia; Department of Tourism, Innovation and Sport; Impact250; International and National World Heritage sites.
“Making Riversleigh into a World Heritage Area involved recognition of the enormous importance of these fossil deposits in terms of helping us understand the history of this continent and enabling us to use these fossils to help save Australia’s endangered living animals.”
Professor Michael Archer, renowned Palaeontologist specialising in Australian vertebrates, and member of the Riversleigh World Heritage Advisory Committee
Acknowledge Waanyi traditional connection with the land.