We are living in a time of extraordinary technological progress. 

Right now, Artificial Intelligence is painting portraits and writing essays, Teslas are driving themselves, and Jeff Bezos is blasting people into space on Star Trek-esque rockets just for fun. 

Think about how the humble iPhone – with all its apps and widgets – has transformed our everyday lives. With the flick of a finger, we can pay the water bill, do the grocery run, and figure out the fastest way to get home from work. 

It's The Bugle’s view that innovation is a force for good, and we need plenty more of it. 

Along those lines, it’s staggering to think that Generation ChatGPT finds it so hard to build and maintain high-quality infrastructure. 

In the last two weeks, the Bugle has brought you two important stories about a near-fatal incident on Jamberoo Road and the long-awaited re-opening of Jamberoo Mountain Road. 

In the former, Mark Whalan spoke to Jamberoo local Kate Harris who hit an Angus Yearling while driving home from Albion Park earlier this month. With social media reports of cows loose on local roads on the up, Kate is calling for flashing warning lights to be deployed when animals are loose. 

In the latter, Cassandra Zaucer covered the re-opening of Jamberoo Mountain Road following its closure due to landslides and flood water last year. Her coverage noted that – while the road re-opened ahead of schedule – the length of its closure had a huge impact on local businesses including Kings Pattiserie & Café, Nerilee Antiques and Jamberoo Pub. 

Wherever there are cows there will be loose cows, and storms and landslides are a fact of life. 

Surely, though, there’s room for more innovation when it comes to planning, building, and maintaining essential infrastructure. 

How can we harness technology to get people where they need to go more quickly and more safely? 

Can we find more creative solutions to make sure local business don’t suffer when repairs (inevitably) have to be made? 

These questions are well above The Bugle’s pay grade, and they can’t just be answered locally. 

So, it was good see Prime Minister – and self-confessed “infrastructure nerd” - Anthony Albanese talking about building more high-quality roads during his visit to the South Coast this week. 

The fact the PM is talking the talk on more and better roads for our part of the world is good news. Now it’s up to State Government to play their parts and ensure we get the best outcomes for our community.

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