Northern Rivers - NSW Business Chamber has welcomed the release of the first six-monthly report card on the progress of the Pacific Highway upgrade.

NSW Business Chamber proposed the six-monthly report card through its 2,500 member strong Facebook group, I support fixing the Pacific Highway, to keep the communities along NSW's North Coast informed of progress of the upgrade, and hold the Federal and NSW Governments accountable to the 2016 target completion date.

The Chamber called for the report card to be escalated to the top leadership level with the Prime Minister and NSW Premier personally signing off on the progress reports.

"The Pacific Highway report cards should be a significant improvement for transparency and accountability on this long overdue and important national project: said John Murray, Northern Rivers - NSW Business Chamber Regional Manager.

"Six-monthly report cards on the Pacific Highway upgrade will be a welcome way for communities along NSW's North Coast to get a clear understanding of how the two decades old upgrade is progressing and when it will finally be completed.

"I'm particularly Impressed by the commitment that has been demonstrated by the NSW Roads Minister, Duncan Gay, who, upon taking over responsibility for the roads portfolio, has been enthusiastic about improving  accountability and transparency on one of Australia's biggest infrastructure projects

"The story of the Pacific Highway upgrade has been one of continual over promising and under delivery and the cost of that has been many lives lost as well as seriously undermining economic development in regional communities along the Highway."

Mr Murray said he appreciated the responsibility demonstrated by Minister Gay and Minister Albanese in producing the report cards but would still encourage the Prime Minister and Premier to take a key stakeholder role in future report cards.

"The report card in itself won't solve the current problems of lt1e Pacific Highway. II will, however, provide the community with a useful tool in order to hold both the State and Federal governments to account," Mr Murray said.