They all have Australian Business Numbers registered south of the Murray River which means they do not qualify for cash handouts despite being based in NSW.

Business NSW Murray-Riverina regional manager Andrew Cottrill said it was a reflection of frontier intricacies.

"It's something we naturally don't think about on the border, because it's part of our daily life, but many people who operate businesses in NSW live in Victoria or have an accountant in Victoria," Mr Cottrill said.

"We've found in excess of 100 applicants have been declined because of it."

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Mr Cottrill said the ABN did not reflect the physical trading point and other administrative ties such as business registration.

"There's no taxes paid based on the location of an ABN," he said.

The southern border recovery committee this week passed a resolution to lobby the NSW government to provide an alternative pathway, other than ABN, to access the grants.

Mr Cottrill suggested a rates notice should be sufficient to demonstrate the enterprise was based in NSW.

The grants, which involve $5000 and $10,000 amounts, are part of a $45 million package announced in August by the NSW government to help compensate for falling trade due to the Victorian border being closed.

Mr Cottrill said as of October 1 there had been 1123 applications which represented $7.7 million in assistance.

The three most popular types of businesses seeking aid are food and beverage, accommodation and construction.

Underlining the drastic impact of the closure on overnight stays, Mr Cottrill told of a Moama motel that had a turnover of $204,000 in the September quarter last year and for the same period this year the figure was $2600.

In addition to addressing the ABN anomaly, the NSW government is being urged to extend the deadline to apply for grants beyond October 18.

Government MP and member for Albury Justin Clancy, who chairs the recovery committee, supports both moves.

He added the group was also keen to have the border fully opened and checkpoints removed.

Fellow committee member Albury mayor Kevin Mack said this week that the NSW government needed to follow Queensland and Victoria and provide a guide for reopening.

"My biggest gripe is 'where's the road map?'," Cr Mack said.

"Our community deserve a road map and deserve a road map about what happens next.

"Businesses right across our region need to understand where they need to invest, when they can invest and when their money will make the biggest difference."

Cr Mack has nominated the end of October for opening the border, but Mr Clancy and NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian have declined to commit to a timeframe.