Can the World Heritage Convention be adequately implemented in Australia without Australia becoming a party to the Intangible Heritage Convention?

Most Australian World Heritage sites inscribed for natural values under the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage also contain indigenous cultural heritage values. This article examines how effectively the Australian govemment can use the World Heritage Convention as a tool to protect intangible indigenous cultural heritage including cultural landscapes whether those values are recognised as being of Word Heritage value or not. It also examines the potential of the new Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage to protect indigenous cultural heritage values and discusses the pros and cons of Australia becoming a party to the new Intangible Heritage Convention. It will be argued that these two Conventions are intended to work together to provide a mechanism for effective identification, safeguarding, awareness, protection, and conservation of both tangible and intangible heritage.