Heritage bid for Cape delayed WORLD heritage protection for the unspoilt Cape York wilderness in north Queensland has been delayed by at least a year after the federal government missed a United Nations deadline to submit a nomination. Labor had pledged it would get the consent from traditional Aboriginal owners before submitting a world heritage nomination to the UN. But it has yet to obtain formal consent to include key sites needed for a credible nomination. The government had initially hoped to meet a February 1 deadline for consideration of the nomination in 2013, and significant work had been put in by the Environment Department and scientific advisers to prepare the submission. A nomination can still be submitted before this year's federal election, but it will now not be considered until 2014, and possibly 2015, meaning a delay to potential international recognition for Cape York's rainforests, wetlands and indigenous cultural sites. Environment Minister Tony Burke played down any suggestion of a new self-imposed deadline to finalise a nomination, saying it was not up to him to set time frames for traditional owners whose link to the country went back centuries. Mr Burke said traditional owners would ultimately decide through the consent process whether a nomination went ahead, adding, "I was always relaxed about deadlines [for the nomination]." Behind the scenes the government has contracted the indigenous-owned Balkanu Cape York Development Corporation - headed by Gerhardt Pearson - to gain consent of the traditional owners of some key areas on Cape York, which is yet to occur. Balkanu's chief operating officer, Terry Piper, said on Monday "there is interest among traditional owners on world heritage and we are keen to continue to work with them." A number of other Cape York traditional owners are making consent decisions for their land independently of Balkanu through a separate process, with some close to making decisions. The Wilderness Society said the missed deadline had significant implications for Cape York, with several major mining projects on the horizon. The society's Gavan McFadzean said the government had failed to put up even a "tentative listing" - a preliminary step towards a full World Heritage nomination - that would have at least meant the submission would be considered in 2014. Instead he said consideration would be pushed back to 2015.