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Motorcyclists and other protesters gathered in Melbourne’s CBD on Sunday, with an estimated 3500 participants calling for improved road safety and better maintenance of Victoria’s roads. The protest, organized by Michael White, involved motorbike revs echoing near State Parliament to draw attention to the issue. Protesters demanded immediate action from political leaders, who were invited but only two attended: Opposition Leader Jess Wilson and Nationals leader Danny O’Brien. Both leaders pledged support for road improvements, though specifics varied in commitment and funding source.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-04,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Motorcyclists gathered outside Victorian Parliament on Sunday for a protest demanding better road safety, particularly focusing on road condition issues like potholes. The rally, which drew an estimated 3500 participants, was prompted by the death of Peter “Tiki” Mason, who died after hitting a pothole near Beaufort in early September. Robert “Pommy” Nicolson, a professional truck driver and fellow motorcyclist, highlighted the risks riders face daily on roads like the Western Highway. He noted that he memorizes the locations of potholes on his 130-kilometer work route to avoid accidents. The protest included chants for road repairs and loud revs from motorcycles echoing up Parliament steps, drawing attention to ongoing concerns over road maintenance in advance of the November state election.
Written for “Motorcycle Safety Protest Victoria” on 2026-10-06,
grounded in this article and the 1 other(s) covering the same event.
After motorcyclist Robert “Pommy” Nicolson learnt his mate Peter “Tiki” Mason had struck a pothole on the Western Highway and died, shock later gave way to a sinking feeling: it could easily have been him.
uncertain
it → learn → feeling
A professional truck driver, Nicolson has memorised the location of most of the potholes on the 130-kilometre journey he takes for work each day.
asserted
he → memorise → work
But he is on constant alert for any new dips that could send his road train onto the wrong side of the bitumen in a split second.
uncertain
that → send → second
“He was a top fella,” Nicolson said of Mason, who last month lost control of his motorbike after hitting a pothole and went over the handlebars near Beaufort, about 50 kilometres from Ballarat.
asserted
who → say → Ballarat
“We all know the risks, but we shouldn’t have to worry about the condition of the roads,” Nicolson said.
asserted
Nicolson → know → roads
Chants of “fix the roads” rang out in the CBD on Sunday as an estimated 3500 motorbike riders and other protesters flooded the intersection of Spring and Bourke streets to call for immediate action to improve safety for all road users.
asserted
riders → fix → users
Motorcyclists made loud revs on their bikes that reverberated up the steps of State Parliament.
asserted
that → make → Parliament
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”.
asserted
it → feel → moment
“It’s not just all about motorcyclists; it’s about the whole community, people driving cars, driving trucks.
asserted
it → ’ → trucks
It’s insane,” he said.
asserted
he → ’ → ?
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, which a coroner found happened after he rode over asphalt repair bumps.
asserted
he → say → bumps
She told the crowd that Victorian roads had become “totally trashed”.
asserted
roads → tell → crowd
“Let’s get it fixed.
asserted
it → get → ?
Let’s keep the pressure up,” Hogarth said.
asserted
Hogarth → let → pressure
Rally organiser Michael White said protesters were angry at the condition of Victoria’s roads and sick of burying their mates.
asserted
protesters → say → mates
He said the rally was not political but about promoting accountability.
asserted
rally → say → accountability
State political leaders had been invited to address the crowd.
asserted
leaders → invite → crowd
“It’s not about Labor, Liberal, left or right.
asserted
It → ’ → Labor
What we want our politicians to do is become decent human beings and fix a problem that’s killing Victorians,” White said.
asserted
White → want → Victorians
Opposition Leader Jess Wilson and Nationals leader Danny O’Brien addressed protesters and spruiked a $5 billion road maintenance pledge Wilson said would be funded through a “hiring freeze on the growth of the back office of the public service” should the Coalition win the state election.
asserted
Coalition → address → election
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, so candidate Ben Lucas attended in his place.
asserted
Lucas → say → 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” but did not give a direct dollar commitment for road upgrades.
asserted
we → say → upgrades
Premier Ben Carroll was also invited to speak.
asserted
Carroll → invite → ?
White said the premier was unavailable but had phoned him on Saturday instead.
asserted
premier → say → Saturday
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, made the “biggest investment ever in road resurfacing” at $1.4 billion and had committed to bringing road maintenance responsibility within government.
asserted
he → say → government
Police said about 3500 people attended Sunday’s protest and there were no incidents of note.
asserted
people → say → note
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