Karen Grogan (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to draw attention to the Albanese government's submission of the Flinders Ranges for consideration for World Heritage listing. Anybody who has been lucky enough to visit this unique part of South Australia will tell you that it is truly extraordinary. From the stark majesty of Wilpena Pound to the spectacular Brachina Gorge, it is a place that's so vibrant. I know that my family spends a lot of time there. There are plenty of extreme mountain bikers who spend a lot of time there. There's so much to do, and it's such an amazing place—not just for the dunnarts, quolls, snakes and lizards but for the rest of us as well. It is also home to the earliest evidence of animal life, with a fossil record dating back 600 million years. It is spectacular, and it's already a really, really popular international tourism destination.

I was interested to note that it's the only Australian site on this year's Lonely Planet top-10 visitor locations. Thousands of visitors come to the Flinders Ranges every year, and this listing will just expand that. It will really enhance the economic value of the area and provide huge benefit to many of the towns and people in that arena. But the listing also brings a very, very special economic opportunity to the Adnyamathanha people. They are custodians of that land, and the rangers play a central role in protecting and preserving the Flinders Ranges. They also undertake some really important, innovative cultural tourism. If anybody is thinking of going, please sign up for one of the Adnyamathanha tours. They are doing a spectacular job, and it is an amazing, amazing part of the world.