Parts of the Cape York Peninsula in Queensland may be in line for world heritage listing, after a campaign by the Queensland government and Traditional Owners nominated the historic area to Australia's UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List.

The list is submitted to UNESCO by countries and is the first step to full international protection and recognition, with the vast region of more than 120,000 square kilometres shaped by thousands of years of Indigenous beliefs, customs, and practices, as well as a rich complex natural environment.

These include rock art on Quinkan Country which detail intricate connections to Country, and paintings that include imagery of spirit beings, men and women, dingos, macropods, echidnas, birds, reptiles, fish, tracks, yams.

Over 60 per cent of the population of the peninsula are Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.

Southern Kaantju Traditional Owner Allan Creek said he and most of his family have spent their lives on Country, looking after it.

"I was involved in the World Heritage talks and the meetings," he said. We've been thinking about it for years."

"I reckon World Heritage will be good because it gives us more chance to look after the country how we need to look after it, forever. So, we don't have to bend this way and that way every time the government change their mind, or a big company tells us what we need to do."

Possum and Kuku Warra Traditional Owner Alwyn Lyall said he welcomed the listing of his "ancestors' country and existence".

"Cultural heritage is of great importance to me, Australia, and future generations. We welcome the opportunity to be heard," Mr Lyall said.

The Queensland government nominated "Cultural Landscapes of Cape York Peninsula" for the World Heritage tentative list, naming several areas including the Alwal, KULLA (McIlwraith Range), Ma'alpiku (Restoration Island), Olkola, Oyala Thumotang and Wuthathi (Shelburne Bay) National Parks as well as Quinkan Country.

Premier Steven Miles told ABC radio the Cape York Peninsula was a "special place," and this was a "special announcement".

"It's something I've worked on since I was the environment minister nearly 10 years ago and to get to this point is quite monumental," Mr Miles said.

Wuthathi Elder Johnson Chippendale said his people have a long history of conservation, protection and caring for Country, "60,000 years before colonisation".

"We have legislated prohibition for mining, now moving forward, looking at the Tentative Listing procedure and the World Heritage listing on our icon dunes and lakes…sand dunes World Heritage listing on our Country, which would give them the ultimate protection for future generations to come," Mr Chippendale said.

"This is only the Tentative Listing, they will be in deep consultation with all our Wuthathi people, led by Wuthathi people with the state's support, following our protocol and guidelines to ensure protection and economic wealth and management of resource for our people.

"Wuthathi people talk for Wuthathi Country and make decisions for Wuthathi Country, no one else."

The next step for the Peninsula is World Heritage list nomination, which can take up to five years.

Queensland already has five sites on the World Heritage list including K'gari (Fraser Island), the Great Barrier Reef, and the Wet Tropics.