Bolwarra potholes get quick fix after graffiti grabs state’s attention
A crude plea scrawled across the Princes Highway forced a clean-up, but long-term road repairs remain uncertain.
Zara Cuthbertson
July 16, 2025
The graffitied penis that drew attention to a crumbling stretch of the Princes Highway at Bolwarra has now been scrubbed away – along with the spray-painted plea to “fix this”.
But while crews arrived early on Wednesday to remove the graffiti and patch some of the potholes along the highway, it’s still a band-aid solution to the bigger issue of poor roads affecting motorists across Western Victoria.
The graphic drawing is believed to have been spray painted near the potholes overnight on Saturday. Image supplied.
Michael Bailey, executive director of Barwon South West and Grampians at the Department of Transport and Planning, confirmed the department was aware of the graffiti and had organised its removal, but did not address whether the road would receive more significant upgrades.
Bailey added the department “inspects this stretch of highway weekly and performs maintenance as required”.
On Tuesday, two residents who live on the stretch of road told the Brolga the potholes have only worsened over the past two years, and crews had only visited to repair the potholes once in that time.
The department said it manages over 22,000 kilometres of road network, which is “inspected regularly to ensure compliance and the roads are maintained in accordance with the DTP Road Management Plan”.
“Now that this funding has been committed, experts are currently putting together a program of works to be delivered in the 2025/26 financial year,” the statement read.
Residents are able to report issues via the department’s 13 11 70 hotline.