WA welcomes Ningaloo Coast’s World Heritage listing
Colin Barnett
Premier; Minister for State Development
Bill Marmion
Minister for Environment; Water
The World Heritage Committee gave the Ningaloo Coast the highest level of international recognition with its inscription on the World Heritage List for its natural beauty and biological diversity at a meeting in Paris in late June. Premier Colin Barnett and Environment Minister Bill Marmion today welcomed the World Heritage listing and said it gave proper recognition of the area’s outstanding natural beauty and biological richness.
The Ningaloo Coast was nominated for World Heritage listing by the Federal Government with the support of the Western Australian Government. The listing covers an area of 604,500ha that includes Ningaloo Marine Park, Cape Range National Park and the Muiron Islands.
The Premier said the World Heritage listing of the Ningaloo Coast was recognition of the striking natural landscapes of Cape Range and Ningaloo Reef, and the high biological diversity of the reef. “Visitors to the region have the opportunity to encounter one of the world’s largest aggregations of whale sharks, as well as marine mammals, turtles and manta rays, and many rare and diverse plants and animals found within Cape Range,” Mr Barnett said.
Mr Marmion said the World Heritage listing was recognition of the comprehensive management arrangements in place for the area based on a network of marine and terrestrial conservation reserves. “World Heritage listing is the highest global recognition of a site’s importance. The listing presents an opportunity for the community and governments to work together, to ensure the area is protected and the benefits of sustainable nature-based tourism flow to the community. Ningaloo Marine Park and Cape Range National Park attracted more than 250,000 visits a year, with visitors injecting about $141million into the Gascoyne region’s economy.”
Shark Bay, Purnululu National Park and Fremantle Prison are the only other WA sites which are World Heritage listed.