This masthead has been unashamedly campaigning for a Princes Highway people do not have to die on.
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We want them to get to work, home and school safely. We do not want careful drivers and their families punished for other motorists' poor decisions.
We also want a road that will deliver the freight we need and the visitors our tourism industry relies on.
However, as has been evident north of Nowra, better roads bring more crowds to the coast - and that can be a double-edged sword for the very environment that attracts them.
Yes, we want more job opportunities for our young people. Yes, we want an end to "the hungry gap", from Easter to October, when tourism-dependent businesses tighten their belts and lay off staff.
However, despoiling our precious Nature Coast in the process would be a disaster.
If our FIX IT NOW campaign is successful and whoever wins the coming federal election strikes an 80-20 funding agreement with NSW, we will be on the road to a divided dual-carriageway all the way to the border.
The NRMA called for this in 2014, when researchers crunched the numbers and realised how many lives could be saved and injuries prevented.
It will cost well above $10 billion and will take 20 years to complete. So, let's get the planning right.
We must prepare now for what we do not wish to lose - clean air and beaches and natural areas people actually want to swim at and visit.
Even without a safer highway, visitor numbers to our coast are growing every year.
Wednesday's visit to the Eurobodalla Shire of consuls-general proves once again the eyes of the world are upon us.
We must remain ahead of the curve and take charge of this process - or it will take charge of us.
A no-brainer in any planning for a safer highway is to welcome electric vehicles with open arms - and an easy recharge.
A solar-powered recharge would be even better.
The statutory body, Infrastructure Australia, says a national electric vehicle fast-charging network is a High Priority Initiative for Australia.
The 2019 priority list released on Valentine's Day had plenty of love for an electric future - now governments must show the same heart.
