Welcome to Forrest. Please read the information below to have a fun and safe ride and treat our environment with care.
Dieback (Phytophthora cinnamomi) is an introduced plant pathogen that devastates native plant communities and is a key threatened process to Australia’s biodiversity. The pathogen lives in soil, water and plant materials. It attacks roots, restricts the uptake of nutrients and kills plants that small mammals, birds and insects rely on for food and shelter.
Grass trees take hundreds of years to grow are particularly susceptible to the disease. Habitats infested with dieback can no longer support populations of mammals like bandicoots, swamp antechinus and potoroos.
Once a bushland area is infected, there is no cure, so preventing the spread of dieback is critical.
Human activity causes the spread of the pathogen through the movement of infected material. Practicing strict hygiene and removing soil from tyres and footwear is essential for managing dieback.
– Be aware of dieback and what infested areas look like.
– Reduce soil and plant material movement by staying on established tracks and following directional signs concerning dieback.
Use Sanitation stations before and after you ride!
Use sanitation stations to ensure your bike and footwear are clean and free from dirt and organic material. 3 Steps:
1. Roll bike tyres through sanitation station to remove soil and disinfect them.
2. Brush boots, to remove soil and use the foot pad to disinfect footwear.
3. Repeat the cleaning process before and after entering the bushland.
Great Ocean Road Regional Tourism acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the Great Ocean Road region the Wadawurrung, Eastern Maar & Gunditjmara. We pay our respects to their Elders, past, present and emerging. We recognise and respect their unique cultural heritage and the connection to their traditional lands. We commit to building genuine and lasting partnerships that recognise, embrace and support the spirit of reconciliation, working towards self-determination, equity of outcomes and an equal voice for Australia’s first people.
