The Australian government has committed an additional AUS$10.5m (£4.2m, US$7.8m, 6.2m euro) to conserve and protect Australia’s most important heritage sites.

Chair of the Australian Heritage Council, Tom Harley, said: “The new National Heritage Investment Initiative is important because it provides a source of funding for the protection of places already on the national heritage list. It adds to the Distinctively Australian scheme launched in 2004, which underpins the national heritage system.”

Since the system’s inception, there have been 84 nominations – eight have been listed and a further 49 are being assessed by the council. The Royal Exhibition Building and Carton Gardens in Melbourne, the Dinosaur Stampede National Monument in Queensland and the Budj Bim National Heritage Landscape at Lake Condah in Victoria are already listed. Details: www.ahc.gov.au