PARIS: A delegation of Australia`s Indigenous people that travelled to Paris to campaign for UN backing to protect a heritage site they say is threatened by harmful mining were `overjoyed` on Friday as the ancient site was recognised on the coveted list.

The World Heritage Committee at Unesco, the United Nations cultural organisation, had been deliberating since the start of the week on what sites to include in the latest edition of the body`s world heritage list.

Among the dozens of sites under consideration was Murujuga, aremote area in the state of Western Australia that according to estimates houses around one million petroglyphs -carvings that could date back50,000years.

`It`s possibly the most important rock art site in the world,` said Benjamin Smith, a rock art specialist at the University of Western Australia.

`We should be looking after it.

The site is located on the Burrup peninsula,hometotheMardudunera people, and under threat from nearby mining developments.

`This is a momentous day for our old people and our future genera-tions, to have Murujuga`s outstanding universal heritage values recognised by the world,` delegation leader Raelene Cooper said in a statement following the announcement, adding the group was `overjoyed`.

Making the Unesco`s heritage list often sparks a lucrative tourism drive, and can unlock funding for the preservation of sites.

It does not in itself trigger protection for a site, but can help pressure national governments into taking action.

`It`s absolutely crucial that the Australian government takes itmore seriously and regulates industrial pollution in that area more carefully,` Smith said.

Giant mining corporations have been active in the resource-rich Pilbara region for decades.

`Keep our culture thriving` Australian company Woodside Energy operates the North West Shelf, an industrial complex that includes offshore platforms, undersea pipelines, and hydrocarbon processing facilities.

The project consistently ranks among Australia`s five largest emitters ofgreenhouse gas,accordingtofigures from the country`s Clean Energy Regulator.

`These carvings are what our ancestors left here for us to learn and keep their knowledge and keep our culture thriving through these sacred sites,` said Mark Clifton, a member of the three-person delegation meeting Unesco representatives.

Environmental and indigenous organisations argue the presence of mining groups has already caused damage with industrial emissions.

They are `creating hundreds of holes in the surface. And that is causing the surfaces with the rockart to break down`, Smith said.

In an emailed statement, Woodside Energy said it recognises Murujuga as `one of Australia`s most culturally significant landscapes`.

It added that, according to independent peer-reviewed studies, `responsible operations` could help protectthe heritage.

Woodside had taken `proactive steps`, it said, `to ensure we manage our impacts responsibly`.

In May, the Australian government extended the operating licence for the liquefied gas plant by 40 years, with conditions.-AFP