Have you got your Green Card?

Green Card Training (Dieback Biosecurity Awareness Training) offered by the Dieback Working Group is recognised by WA government authorities to gain the skills and knowledge you need to manage your risk of spreading Phytophthora Dieback on-ground.

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DIG Conference 2024

“Seeing the Forest for the Trees”

Thank you to all those who attended the DIG 2024 Conference and our sponsors who helped make the event possible. Stay tuned for highlights from the conference over the coming weeks.

Aj Perkins Presenting At Dig 2025
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Arrive Clean & Leave Clean in natural areas for future generations.

Overview

Phytophthora Dieback refers to the devastating introduced plant disease caused by Phytophthora cinnamomi (pronounced Fy-tof-thora – meaning plant destroyer in Greek). There are over 140 species of Phytophthora, but the species that causes the most severe and widespread impacts to native plants in Western Australia is P. cinnamomi.

In the past, Phytophthora Dieback has been known as ‘dieback’ and ‘jarrah dieback’. Unfortunately, these names have contributed to confusion about the pathogen (a plant disease).  For example, the term ‘dieback’ is also used to describe tree decline caused by other factors such as salinity, drought and insect damage. Furthermore, the disease affects a huge number of introduced and native plant species other than jarrah. Therefore, to overcome this confusion, the term ‘Phytophthora Dieback’ is now used.

Managing Phytophthora Dieback in Western Australia

Phytophthora Dieback is a widespread concern in southern Western Australia. It’s management is undertaken by a wide range of affected stakeholders from government, industry, landholders, research organisations, universities, and community groups.

In recent years, the growth in tourism and outdoor recreation such as mountain bike riding, geocaching and four-wheel vehicle activities in vulnerable forests and bushland has been a significant concern that requires significant financial investment and stakeholder engagement to mitigate the risks from these activities accidentally spreading significant plant diseases and weeds in natural areas.

This plant pathogen could be considered the most significant environmental threat to ecosystem health and biodiversity in south Western Australia!

Latest News

Mark the date! DIG 2021 is on the way…

Building on the success of our Dieback Information Group (DIG) and Dieback Information Forum (DIF) Hybrid Conference in collaboration with South Coast Natural Resources Management (SCNRM), the DWG and SCNRM are planning an even more ambitious conference this year, on July 1st and 2nd 2021. To check out [...]

DIG/DIF Conference 2020 Gallery

The Dieback Information Group Conference/Dieback Information Forum was a blast in 2020, where participants were engaged by local, national and international speakers. Scientists, industry, land care managers and local Government stakeholders all provided their take on “Phytophthora Dieback – Tools for the Future“. See below for some snapshots [...]