+34
An estimated 3500 motorcyclists and supporters rallied in Melbourne to demand immediate action on Victoria's dangerous roads after several deaths linked to poor conditions, with political leaders offering competing pledges.
An estimated 3500 motorcyclists and other protesters rallied in Melbourne on Sunday, calling for immediate action to improve safety on Victoria's roads after a series of deaths linked to poor road conditions.
Chants of fix the roads rang out in the CBD as riders and supporters flooded the intersection of Spring and Bourke streets. Motorcyclists revved their engines loudly, and the sound reverberated up the steps of State Parliament. Police said about 3500 people attended the protest. There were no incidents of note.
Melbourne Rally Urges Road Safety Action
The rally followed the death of Peter Tiki Mason, who lost control of his motorbike after hitting a pothole on the Western Highway near Beaufort, about 50 kilometres from Ballarat. He went over the handlebars and died. The crash happened last month, in September. Robert Pommy Nicolson, a professional truck driver and friend of Mason, said shock later gave way to a sinking feeling that it could easily have been him.
Nicolson drives a 130-kilometre route for work each day and has memorised the location of most potholes along the way. But he remains on constant alert for new dips that could send his road train onto the wrong side of the bitumen in a split second. He was a top fella, Nicolson said of Mason. We all know the risks, but we shouldn't have to worry about the condition of the roads.
Gordon Parry had never been to a protest before but felt he needed to attend because it's life and death at the moment out there. It's not just all about motorcyclists; it's about the whole community, people driving cars, driving trucks. It's insane, he said. Robert Pommy Nicolson, Blue Watts, Gordon Parry and Hayley Watts were among the 3500 people calling for action to fix Victorian roads.
Families Demand Better Victorian Roads
Ruth Hogarth said her family had been ripped to pieces following the death of her brother John Hogarth, who died in a motorcycle crash in 2024 on the Western Freeway at Ballan, near Ballarat. A coroner found the crash happened after he rode over asphalt repair bumps. She told the crowd that Victorian roads had become totally trashed. Let's get it fixed.
Let's keep the pressure up, Hogarth said. Rally organiser Michael White said protesters were angry at the condition of Victoria's roads and sick of burying their mates. He said the rally was not political but about promoting accountability, and state political leaders had been invited to address the crowd. It's not about Labor, Liberal, left or right.
What we want our politicians to do is become decent human beings and fix a problem that's killing Victorians, White said. Opposition Leader Jess Wilson and Nationals leader Danny O'Brien addressed protesters. They promoted a $5 billion road maintenance pledge that Wilson said would be funded through a hiring freeze on the growth of the back office of the public service if the Coalition wins the state election.
Political Pitches for Road Maintenance
White said Victorian One Nation leader Warren Pickering had been invited to speak but was attending a BBQ event with the party's federal leader, Pauline Hanson. Candidate Ben Lucas attended in his place. Lucas, a Baw Baw Shire councillor, said his party would closely examine state spending before redirecting money if we get our feet under the desk. He did not give a direct dollar commitment for road upgrades.
Premier Ben Carroll was also invited to speak. White said the premier was unavailable but had phoned him on Saturday instead. At a press conference before the rally, Carroll said he had delayed some level crossing removals to bring forward $352 million for rapid road resurfacing. He said the government had made the biggest investment ever in road resurfacing at $1.4 billion, and he had committed to bringing road maintenance responsibility within government.
Please follow us on Google to support us
brisbanetimes 
smh:‘Sick of burying their mates’: Motorcyclists rev engines at parliament in road safety protest 
theage:‘Sick of burying their mates’: Motorcyclists rev engines at parliament in road safety protestThis story was compiled and edited by the HeadTopics newsroom and HT AI from the reports above.
Motorcyclist Deaths Potholes Melbourne Parliament Rally Road Maintenance Funding Western Highway Crash Melbourne Motorcycle Rally Victorian Road Safety Pothole Deaths Peter Tiki Mason
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News: You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Magnitude 4.8 earthquake hits Victoria with tremors felt across MelbourneThe epicentre was at Leongatha, 130km south-east of Melbourne, with residents reporting houses shaking just after 2am
Read more »
Biggest earthquake in three years rattles Melbourne, VictoriaGeoscience Australia reported the quake just after 2am with an epicentre near the South Gippsland town of Korumburra.
Read more »
Victorian Labor Targets Inner Melbourne Greens Seats Ahead of November ElectionLabor is campaigning to regain inner-city Melbourne seats from the Greens, highlighting public housing redevelopment and policies such as allowing dogs in pubs and extending trading hours.
Read more »