An experienced 71-year-old motorcyclist, Peter "Tiki" Mason, has died after his bike reportedly hit a pothole on Victoria's Western Highway, sparking anger in his Ballarat community over the state's road conditions. Mason, a well-known figure in local motorcycling clubs, lost control near Trawalla on Sunday; while police say the exact cause is still being investigated, friends and witnesses insist a pothole alone was to blame, reigniting criticism of the Victorian government's handling of road maintenance.

Mason had been a life member and founding president of the Ballarat chapter of The Dodgy Few Social Motorcycle Club, later joining the Eureka Social Riders, and was remembered as a New Zealand-born artist, husband and father. Locals say potholes on the stretch of road are routinely patched with gravel before reopening, and the death follows a state Auditor-General report finding half of Victoria's roads are in poor condition, with repair backlogs growing. The tragedy comes despite recent government pledges, including $40 million for motorcyclist safety and $352 million to double pothole repairs this year, and road conditions have become a flashpoint ahead of the state election, with opposition leader Jess Wilson promising a $5 billion repair plan.