Crude message spray painted on Aussie road gets surprise response from council
The crass graffiti comes as the crumbling state of Victoria's roads has been singled out as the top safety issue.
Potholes on Australian roads are an increasingly familiar sight and it's little wonder that fed-up residents across the country are taking matters into their own hands. One cheeky resident went as far as sending their local council a crude message, with surprising results.
The phallic-shaped graffiti, sprayed around the pothole on a road in Inverloch, Victoria, was reported to Bass Coast Shire Council on Tuesday afternoon and in a shock move by council, it had been filled in by the next morning.
While many locals who saw the message on their daily commutes and had a good laugh, it speaks to a much deeper, ongoing issue with the condition of roads in Australia and the swift action has left many Aussies wondering what lengths they must go to in order to have similar potholes filled in their own area.
Potholes top safety issue plaguing roads
The crumbling state of Victoria's roads has been singled out as the top safety issue plaguing the country network. More than 7000 Victorians were surveyed by the RACV on the safety of regional roads across the state.
Sixty-four per cent of motorists who responded identified potholes and poor road condition as the biggest safety issue, up from 46 per cent in 2021.
"The number of responses received is a strong indicator that Victorians are concerned about safety on regional roads and are calling for urgent improvement," RACV policy head James Williams said.
Council weighs in on crass graffiti message
Council told Yahoo News Australia that simply reporting potholes is the best way to address the issue, explaining that a community member "alerted us to the pothole on Ullathornes Road, Inverloch on Tuesday afternoon.
"Our maintenance crew went out the next morning and fixed it," the spokesperson said. “We encourage community members to report potholes directly to Council by visiting the form on our website at basscoast.vic.gov.au/contact or giving us a call on 1300 BCOAST (226 278) or (03) 5671 2211.”
Despite the quick fix, Aussies were in stitches after South Gippsland Sentinel Times shared images of the pothole message. "If it works, keep doing it," said one local.
"About time someone did it," said another fed-up resident.
"This is a massive highlight to the community and council showing the conditions of the roads," pointed out a third local.
One anonymous council worker who claims they remove graffiti for an Australian city council said "if it's tagged as "offensive" in the works orders we're obligated to remove it the same day. Guess there must be other departments that run their jobs the same way."
Snap Send Solve CEO Danny Gorog told Yahoo it's "essential" for council's to address offensive and crude messages when they arise.
"People deeply value their communities and strive to maintain them as welcoming and comforting places to live," he said. "When issues like offensive or crude graffiti arise, it’s essential to address them appropriately to preserve the integrity of these shared spaces.
"We encourage everyone to use appropriate channels, such as Snap Send Solve, to quickly bring issues like this to the council’s attention, keeping our communities safe and welcoming for all."
More fed-up Aussies send blunt message to councils
It's not the first time Australians have forced council's hand in fixing a pothole. Last year in Adelaide, one such blunt message read 'fix it you lazy pricks', with an arrow pointing to the uneven kerb at a roundabout.
A photo of the road message was shared by local MP Blair Boyer, the South Australian Minister of Education, Training and Skills. "I don’t agree with spray painting the road to make your point (and just creating further work for council in the process), but nonetheless I have written to City of Tee Tree Gully council about the kerb," he said.
In another Melbourne council, a citizen-made yellow sign, which at first glance appears to be from authorities, was been positioned on the road next to a row of potholes. "Surface still f**ked", it reads.
— With AAP
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