source : the age
The pothole believed to be responsible for the death of a 71-year-old man has been repaired, Premier Ben Carroll said amid mounting complaints about the state of Victoria’s roads.
But when questioned on Tuesday, Carroll could not confirm how many potholes had been repaired around the state since the government announced an additional $352 million in funding and unveiled a target last month to fix 500,000 by the end of January.
“I’m the premier, not the roads minister,” he said.
“I’ve directed the funding to get in there and do the maintenance. I’ve spoken to the roads minister. He tells me crews are out right now on the Western Highway, doing what they need to do. In terms of the exact number, we can try and give you those details.”
The premier said he had not yet spoken to the family of Peter “Tiki” Mason, who died in a motorcycle crash on the Western Highway at Trawalla, west of Ballarat, on Sunday afternoon.
Asked whether the road defect that potentially contributed to Mason’s death had been fixed, Carroll said: “I understand it has, yes.”
A spokesperson for Ripon MP Martha Haylett, whose electorate Mason died in, confirmed on Tuesday that crews were undertaking works to repair potholes along the Western Highway at Trawalla.
Police say the exact circumstances of Mason’s fatal crash are yet to be determined, but have confirmed they were called to reports that his bike had struck a pothole.
“We accept responsibility for making sure our roads are safe,” Carroll said.
“A man has lost his life out there on a motorbike with a good mate, looking forward to a Sunday night meal with his friend. He should have come home, he should have enjoyed that meal. And my thoughts are with his family.”
A report from the Victorian Auditor-General’s Office released last week revealed almost half of the state’s government-managed roads are in poor or very poor condition.
Motorists who use the Western Highway near Ballarat have also constantly complained about the state of the regional road.
Data from the auditor-general shows that between June 2024 and June 2026, a total of 7405 potholes opened on the road from Moorabool to the South Australian border, though all but 10 of them had been repaired when a survey was conducted.
Carroll, meanwhile, defended his tenure as roads minister from 2020 to 2022 under then-premier Daniel Andrews.
Asked if he previously asked Andrews for more road funding, Carroll said: “I’ve always advocated in every portfolio I’ve got for more money and resources, but I’m a team player as well, and I make sure that we make the investment that we need to do.”
Following Mason’s death, motorcyclists gathered outside state parliament on Monday to protest road conditions and the heightened risk potholes pose riders.
“This government has blood on their hands,” motorcyclist Paul Povh said.
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Lachlan Abbott is a crime reporter at The Age. He was previously a city reporter and covered breaking news.Connect via email.
