NSW offers business advisory support for Great Western Highway closure impacts

Summary:
Small businesses affected by the closure of the Great Western Highway at Victoria Pass can register for free, tailored business advisory support through Service NSW. The highway is closed in both directions for urgent road repairs, and the NSW Government has announced support for impacted small businesses and councils across the Blue Mountains and Central West. Advisory support is available from 9 June to 9 September 2026. Eligible businesses can receive up to three hours of free one-on-one advice, delivered online or by phone, plus access to local networking events once details are released.

Why it matters:
The closure may affect customer access, freight routes, staffing, cash flow, contracts and supply chains. Advisors can help businesses plan around disruption, manage debt or cash flow pressures, respond to staff impacts, and consider ways to adapt or diversify.

Who is eligible:
To access the advisory support, a business must have fewer than 20 full-time equivalent employees and be physically located in, with an ABN registered to, one of the listed impacted LGAs: Bathurst Regional, Blayney, Blue Mountains, Cabonne, Dubbo Regional, Forbes, Hawkesbury, Lithgow, Mid-Western Regional, Oberon or Orange.

Related grant support:
Separate NSW Rural Assistance Authority grants are also open for eligible small businesses affected by the closure. Grants of up to $25,000 are available for eligible businesses in Hartley, Hartley Vale, Little Hartley and Mount Victoria, while grants of up to $10,000 are available in other specified towns and postcodes. Applications close 22 January 2027 at 4pm AEDT, or earlier if funds are exhausted.