Thursday, 21 May 2026
The NSW Government is rolling out a $3.5 million support package to assist small businesses and councils across the Blue Mountains and Central West region impacted by the closure of the Great Western Highway at Victoria Pass.
Since the closure of the road due to serious cracking and safety concerns, the NSW Government has been working with businesses, local councils and communities to understand the nature of the impacts and determine the most practical way to support those most acutely affected.
The Government recognises the prolonged closure and detour routes have caused significant disruption for businesses in the direct vicinity of Victoria Pass.
This support package will provide financial assistance in the immediate short-term, and advisory services to help businesses manage ongoing disruptions while the closure remains in place.
These measures have been developed with input from the Small Business Commission, following consultation with local business owners so assistance is provided where it is needed most.
The package will also provide funding to a wider range of councils in the Central West to drive visitation and tourism.
The region remains open for business, with detour routes via Chifley Road and Darling Causeway adding around 12 kilometres and approximately 25 minutes to journeys.
The support package includes:
- $10,000 grants available to eligible small businesses in Mount Victoria, Hartley, Little Hartley, and Hartley Vale. More information on eligibility criteria and application process, through the NSW Rural Assistance Authority, will be available shortly.
- $15,000 each to eight councils – Cabonne, Forbes, Oberon, Dubbo, Blayney, Hawkesbury, Mid Western and Orange Councils to strengthen their visitor economies with local activations and promotional activities that drive visits to local businesses. This is in addition to $15,000 already provided
- $5,000 community event grants to Blue Mountains, Lithgow, Bathurst, Cabonne, Forbes, Oberon, Dubbo, Blayney, Hawkesbury, Western and Orange Councils to support local events aimed at promoting tourism and longer stays in the region.
- Specialised Business Advisory Service – Impacted business owners across the region will be able to access dedicated one-on-one specialist advice focusing on managing business disruption, alongside local support sessions. Businesses will be able to register through the Service NSW Business Bureau from 1 June.
- Business workshops will be held in Blackheath, Mount Victoria, Hartley, Oberon, Lithgow and Orange in June to advise on support services, cash flow, cost management, diversification and marketing. Delivered in partnership by the Service NSW Business Bureau and the NSW Small Business Commission with local organisations.
Transport for NSW continues to accelerate the process to safely reopen the road and is currently working with two consortia, Seymour Whyte and Gamuda, to develop solutions in parallel before announcing a final option and delivery partner who will undertake the restoration work.
Since the closure of the Great Western Highway, the NSW Government has committed $50 million towards improving the safety and resilience of detour routes through the Blue Mountains and Central West, with more than $15 million worth of work already complete.
Transport for NSW has a 24/7 on-ground presence in the area, helping traffic move through key locations including Mount Victoria, Bell, and Lithgow. Transport is using traffic monitoring drones and has installed additional mobile CCTV units, and traffic behaviour monitoring cameras at pinch points and locations where risky driving has been identified.
An uplift in public transport services, including extra rail, coach and bus services for Blue Mountains and Central West communities is in place and will continue for the duration of the closure.
Destination NSW has also been encouraging visitation to the Central West through targeted marketing on its Visit NSW channels and social media.
The Great Western Highway Community Taskforce has been meeting weekly with councils, industry, business and community stakeholders to work through the impacts of the closure and inform Government decision making.
For the latest updates on the Great Western Highway closure visit:
https://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/projects/current-projects/great-western-highway