Border businesses are burning through cash at an unsustainable rate as they desperately try to stay afloat, Business NSW's Andrew Cottrill says, and unless changes are made soon, some will close for good.
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Mr Cottrill said 5 per cent of the 1200 businesses surveyed recently had closed as a result of the border closure and 56 per cent had to alter the way they conducted their business.
Only 38 per cent were open as normal.
"Five per cent is quite a damning statistic when you think about it," Mr Cottrill said.
Mr Cottrill said it was becoming a desperate situation and governments needed to support businesses.
"The way things are going in Victoria, we're not seeing any light on the horizon as far as the relaxing of the border rules," he said.
"We're very much pushing for a sensible amendment to allow people to get back to work and cross the border for the purpose of work."
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Mr Cottrill said if governments were not willing to change the rules, the border needed financial support.
"Without doubt we're going to see businesses close their doors," he said.
"Hopefully not permanently, but businesses are burning through cash at a rate that's not sustainable.
"Businesses are already low on reserves as many have just restocked, given things started to come out of the downturn, only for the border closure part two to happen.
"That constriction really put them back to square one and businesses are really, really truly struggling."