Emergency services were called to Trawalla, a small town west of Ballarat, just before 1pm on Sunday after a motorcycle crashed into a pothole on the Western Highway, near Trawalla Road. The 71-year-old rider, who was from Ballarat, lost control of the bike and died at the scene. Police are still investigating the exact circumstances of the crash, which have not yet been determined. The incident has reignited concerns about the condition of Victoria's public roads, a topic that is expected to play a significant role in the upcoming state election. A recent report from the Victorian auditor general, released on 9 September, revealed that 48% of the state’s road network is in poor or very poor condition, an increase from 39% in 2021. The report examined over 23,000 kilometers of state roads and described the overall condition as "deteriorating." This has sparked a political debate over how to address the growing problem of road maintenance and safety. In response to the deteriorating road conditions, the Victorian Coalition has promised to invest $5 billion over four years to fix 1 million potholes and restore preventive road maintenance. Meanwhile, the current Labor government has committed $352 million to double the number of potholes fixed by 2026, from 250,000 to 500,000. Premier Ben Carroll described the recent fatality as "a tragic loss of life" and acknowledged that "road conditions aren’t good enough." However, he emphasized that the investigation into the crash is ongoing and that he would not speculate on its causes. Shadow Minister for Roads and Road Safety Danny O’Brien called the death "the saddest possible consequence" of the poor state of Victorian roads and criticized the government for what he described as "government neglect." He urged immediate action to fix the roads and stated that the opposition would continue to push for road maintenance work in regional Victoria’s most dangerous areas. With the Victorian state election scheduled for 28 November, the issue of road safety and maintenance is likely to remain a central topic in the political discourse.