Overview
- A 71-year-old man from Ballarat died after reportedly striking a pothole and losing control of his motorcycle on the Western Highway near Trawalla on Sunday, and police confirmed he died at the scene.
- Victoria Police have opened an investigation and asked anyone with dashcam or CCTV footage to contact Crime Stoppers to help establish the crash circumstances.
- A Victorian Auditor‑General’s Office report released last week found 48% of government-managed roads are in poor or very poor condition, and citizen reports of potholes rose more than 46% to 37,482 in the year to August 16.
- The fatality has intensified political pressure ahead of the November 28 state election, with the Coalition proposing about $5 billion to plug one million potholes and Labor offering $352 million to double fixes in 2026.
- Local MPs say repair work already begun is not enough, and the crash could prompt closer scrutiny of repair timetables, funding promises and the speed of visible fixes on regional roads.