Mr Hayes was mountain bike riding between Cross Street and Old Glenorchy Road Deep Lead when he came across shaft near a dam under the power lines.

Mr Hayes said the last time he was in the area would of been seven days ago.

"I nearly rode straight into it. There's no footprints or anything around it - it looks like it's just caved in," he said.

"I regularly ride along there saves going onto the highway to get between those streets.

"I threw a rock down the shaft and I believe it is fairly deep."

Mr Hayes estimates the shaft to be approximately 10-15 metres deeps.

"It has water in the bottom because the rock went splash," he said.

"I think it is a potential safety issue.

"There are other shafts in the forest but they are fairly shallow, not like this one."

More to come.

READ MORE

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- Ararat's Peter Jovic has reached out to organisations around open mine shafts and rubbish in Ararat Hills Reserve

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