A 71-year-old motorcycle club president died Sunday after hitting a pothole on a section of the Western Highway near Trawalla, highlighting growing concerns over Victoria’s deteriorating road conditions. Peter “Tiki” Mason, who led the Eureka Social Riders club since its founding in 2018, lost control of his motorcycle after striking the pothole and died at the scene.
The incident occurred just days after the Victorian Auditor-General’s Office released a report revealing that nearly half of the state government-owned roads were in "poor or very poor" condition in 2024, with road degradation outpacing repairs. The report also stated that the Department of Transport and Planning had warned the government of insufficient funding to adequately maintain or improve the road network.
Victoria Police identified the pothole as a central factor in the crash, which has intensified public and political scrutiny of road safety issues. Friends and fellow riders expressed deep sorrow and frustration over the fatality. Darren Kappe, a close friend and riding companion of Mason, called the death “unforgivable” and blamed the state government for the poor road maintenance. “He was a true gentleman with never a bad word to say,” Kappe said.
Michael White, a podcaster who had interviewed Mason and frequently discussed road safety issues, noted that fatal accidents caused by road conditions are not uncommon. “The Western Highway between Beaufort and Ballarat has been an absolute disgrace for nearly two years,” White said, citing at least three rider deaths related to potholes in the past year along that route.
In response to the crash and ongoing criticism, Victorian Roads Minister Ben Carroll expressed condolences to Mason’s family and acknowledged the challenges in road maintenance. Carroll emphasized that the crash circumstances remain under formal investigation. He pointed to the government’s recent commitment of an additional AU$352 million to address 500,000 potholes, supplementing the AU$1.04 billion already allocated for road asset management this year. Carroll also announced plans to bring road maintenance back under government oversight to improve safety.
Opposition Leader Jess Wilson attributed Mason’s death to neglect of road infrastructure. “Victoria’s roads have been left in a state of disrepair, and now a man has lost his life while he was out for a ride on a Sunday afternoon and he hit a pothole,” Wilson said. She called the fatality “avoidable” and urged the government to take responsibility. The opposition parties have proposed committing AU$5 billion over four years to repair and rebuild roads, eliminate one million potholes, and implement a structured preventive maintenance system.
The Department of Transport and Planning’s 2026-27 business case estimates that maintaining current road conditions and replacing aging assets would require more than AU$3 billion annually, underscoring the scale of investment needed to address Victoria’s growing infrastructure challenges.