Great Western Highway grant expanded for affected small businesses

The NSW Government has expanded support for small businesses affected by the closure of the Great Western Highway at Victoria Pass. Grants of up to $25,000 are now available for eligible small businesses in Hartley, Hartley Vale, Little Hartley and Mount Victoria, up from the original $10,000 grant. Grants of up to $10,000 are also now available for eligible businesses in other regional towns and localities within postcodes 2785, 2786 and 2790, as well as Oberon and Duckmaloi in postcode 2787. Applications are open and close Friday, 22 January 2027 at 4:00 pm AEDT, or earlier if funding is exhausted.

Why it matters: The expanded grant package provides additional cash-flow relief for businesses facing reduced trade, access disruption and visitor cancellations while the highway remains closed. The increase follows the NSW Government’s announcement of an additional $20 million funding package and a wider eligibility area.

Who is affected: Small businesses in eligible Blue Mountains and Central West communities, particularly visitor economy, retail, hospitality, freight, trades, transport, health and service-based businesses impacted by the Victoria Pass closure.

Key eligibility points: Businesses must be physically located in an eligible area, be registered for GST, hold an active ABN, employ fewer than 20 full-time staff, have aggregated annual turnover of no more than $10 million, and intend to keep operating in the same area.

To receive the full grant amount, businesses must show a 40% or greater decline in revenue due to the highway closure.

Read more: @RAA -Rural Assistance Authority