A Victorian motorcyclist has died after apparently clipping a pothole on a notorious stretch of bitumen, as the debate over repairs intensifies
A 71-year-old motorcyclist from Ballarat died after apparently clipping a pothole on the Western Highway at Trawalla on Sunday, as the condition of crumbling roads becomes an increasingly heated issue ahead of the state election.
Police said the rider lost control near Trawalla Road just before 12.50pm. “Emergency services responded to reports a motorcycle had struck a pothole and lost control on the Western Highway, near Trawalla Road, just before 12.50pm,” said Victoria Police. “The rider, a 71-year-old Ballarat man, died at the scene. “The exact circumstances surrounding the crash are yet to be determined and will be investigated.”
Emergency services were called to the Western Highway near Trawalla Road just before 12.50pm after Peter Mason, known as Tiki, lost control of his motorcycle. Police confirmed the 71-year-old died at the scene and said the investigation into the crash remains ongoing.
Mason, a retired spray painter from Ballarat, had served as president of the social motorcycle club Eureka Social Riders since 2019. A club spokesperson said he had been out for an afternoon ride with at least one other person before the fatal crash.
“All I can say is that we are all grieving and at a loss for words about a man who commanded so much respect from his peers,” club spokesperson David Turner said.
Last week, Victoria’s auditor-general found almost half the state’s road network was in decline, with 48 per cent assessed as poor or very poor in 2024.
That has intensified attention on recent road funding promises. State Premier Ben Carroll last month pledged $352 million to repair half a million potholes. In late August, Carroll said Labor would double the number of potholes fixed on state roads from 250,000 to 500,000 within the next financial year.
“The condition of our roads is not good enough,” he said.
Carroll said much of the repair work would take place in the driest period, during the second half of this year and into January. Key arterial routes due to be prioritised include the Geelong Ring Road, Western Highway, Calder Highway and Princes Highway, as well as regional roads.
Opposition police spokesman Brad Battin said the timing of the announcement, so close to the November 28 election, raised questions, and accused Labor of having “neglected” roads for 12 years. “Five minutes before an election and all of a sudden Ben Carroll has found there’s potholes in Victoria,” he said. “Now he’s come out with a small patch fix for a major problem in Victoria.”
In July, the Liberal-National opposition pledged $5 billion over four years to repair and rebuild roads, including works to fix one million potholes. The plan would amount to a 25 per cent increase on current spending.
A Roy Morgan poll released on August 11 found the top concerns among voters about re-electing Labor were corruption and integrity failures, financial mismanagement and debt, union influence and crime. Regional neglect, including poor roads, accounted for four per cent of concerns in the polling.
Anyone who witnessed the crash, has CCTV/dashcam footage or anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit an online confidential report at crimestoppersvic.com.au.
