Armed with a spray can of high-visibility fluorescent paint, Steve Panozzo is becoming a legendary figure on the crumbling regional roads of north-east Victoria. With a quick shake of his can and a watchful eye on oncoming traffic, the local resident regularly darts onto the asphalt to mark hazardous craters before they claim another victim.

Mr. Panozzo does not consider himself an artist, but rather "a bloke who is utterly fed up" with the state of local infrastructure. Watching vehicles swerve dangerously on the outskirts of Wodonga, he expresses his deep frustration with the constant cycle of deteriorating roads.

A One-Man Crusade for Road Safety

"It is a constant cycle of recurring potholes," Mr. Panozzo said. "Road crews can't keep up with the new ones because they are constantly having to backtrack and patch up the same holes that have reopened. It makes me angry."

His safety campaign began three years ago after he witnessed motorists repeatedly crossing double lines to avoid deep, tyre-shredding craters. Fearing a catastrophic accident was inevitable, he began highlighting the worst offenders with bright neon paint to give drivers a fighting chance.

After spending hundreds of dollars of his own money on spray paint, Mr. Panozzo launched an online fundraising campaign earlier this year to keep his efforts going. The response from the community has been overwhelming, with over $2,700 raised from dozens of grateful drivers. Some locals have even left cash donations under his motorcycle helmet while he works, while others have escorted him directly to hardware stores to purchase supplies.

Frustrated Locals Call for Real Action

The state of regional roads has emerged as a major flashpoint ahead of the upcoming election. While the Department of Transport and Planning patched more than 252,000 potholes during the last financial year—averaging over 10 per kilometre—residents say the temporary fixes simply are not holding up.

Bandiana resident Cindy Penny, who watches drivers swerve daily outside her home, believes current repair methods are ineffective. "It's just money down the drain because every time it rains, the holes just open up again," she said. For Ms. Penny, the issue is incredibly personal. She fears that without a permanent solution, a tragedy is only a matter of time. "I don't want to see any of these families destroyed by fatalities on our doorstep," she added.

The Staggering Cost of Neglect

For some, the government’s promises of increased funding come too late. Albury resident Andrea Lever has spent more than $7,000 and faced weeks without her vehicle over the past year after hitting five separate potholes on Victorian roads.

Despite the severe damage, Ms. Lever said road authorities offered no compensation. "When I contacted them, they simply told me to go through my insurance and said it wasn't their problem," she shared. "There’s no compensation whatsoever, which is terrible when we all pay our registrations and keep our cars roadworthy, but the roads aren't worthy for us."

Ms. Lever recently hit another massive pothole that had been marked by Mr. Panozzo. Despite seeing his paint, she was unable to swerve due to oncoming traffic. "It was big, and it made such a loud bang," she recalled. "I keep thinking—is it going to be a fatality next?"

With the state government investing $1 billion in road maintenance this year and the opposition pledging a $5 billion repair package if elected, regional voters are demanding that these promises translate into durable, long-term solutions before more lives are put at risk.