Drivers Donate $2,700 to Man Spray-Painting Potholes

When Steve Panozzo got tired of watching drivers risk head-on collisions to dodge crater-sized potholes, he grabbed a can of fluorescent spray paint and took matters into his own hands.

For three years, the northeast Victorian resident has been marking dangerous road damage across his region, darting onto broken highways between traffic to highlight hazards. Some of the holes he's found are ankle-deep.

After spending hundreds of dollars on paint, Panozzo launched a fundraising page in March to help cover costs. He's raised more than $2,700 from about 70 donors who share his frustration with degrading regional roads.

Some supporters leave cash donations under his motorcycle helmet while he works. Others have escorted him to hardware stores and paid for his paint directly.

"I am just a bloke who is utterly fed up," Panozzo says, watching vehicles swerve around a pothole near Wodonga. "It's catastrophic. We are going to have avoidable catastrophic accidents."

His concern is grounded in reality. More than 252,000 potholes were patched across Victorian roads in the 2025/26 financial year—over 10 potholes for every kilometer of state-managed road.

Real estate agent Andrea Lever has spent more than $7,000 on tire damage from potholes in the past year alone. She's lost five tires in separate incidents and spent weeks without her car.

Bandiana resident Cindy Penny watches crews repair the same potholes outside her home repeatedly, only to see them reopen after rain. The issue weighs on her mind heading into November's election.

The Ripple Effect

Road safety has become a major election issue in Victoria, with massive funding commitments from both sides of politics. The state government is investing over $1 billion in road maintenance this year, while the opposition has pledged $5 billion for repairs and rebuilding if elected.

Panozzo's grassroots campaign has sparked broader conversations about infrastructure maintenance and government accountability. His fluorescent markings have become well-known symbols across the region, reminding officials that communities are watching and demanding action.

The donations funding his paint represent something deeper: neighbors looking out for neighbors when systems fail them. Strangers supporting a stranger because they all share the same dangerous commute.

Panozzo continues his work despite the physical risk of marking potholes on active roads, driven by a simple belief that everyone deserves safe passage home.