Deadline Date: January 22, 2027
The Great Western Highway Closure Small Business Support Grant is a targeted financial assistance program designed to support small businesses impacted by the closure of the highway at Victoria Pass in New South Wales from March 2026.
The focus areas, objectives, priorities, and themes of the program include providing financial support to eligible small businesses experiencing a decline in turnover due to the Great Western Highway closure, reducing operational impacts caused by decreased visitation and tourism, delivering short-term targeted assistance to affected enterprises, and ensuring continued business operations within the impacted localities of Mount Victoria, Hartley, Little Hartley, and Hartley Vale.
The grant program has been established by the NSW Government and is administered by the Rural Assistance Authority with funding support from NSW Treasury. It provides financial relief to small businesses that have been directly affected by reduced traffic and economic activity following a major geotechnical failure that led to the closure of the highway at Victoria Pass.
Eligible businesses may receive up to $10,000 in total support under the program. An initial payment of $5,000 is available to qualifying applicants that meet requirements such as being physically located in the eligible areas, holding an active ABN, being registered for GST, employing fewer than 20 full-time staff, and having an annual turnover of no more than $10 million. A further $5,000 may be accessed by businesses that can demonstrate a revenue decline of 40 percent or more during the specified assessment period compared to the previous year.
The program is designed to support continued economic stability for small businesses operating in the affected regions by offsetting financial losses linked to reduced customer flow and broader disruption caused by the highway closure. Applications remain open until January 2027 or until funding is fully allocated.
For more information, visit NSW Government.
