NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro has left the door open for more support for border businesses, but has stopped short of committing to a second round of an existing program.
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Mr Barilaro, at the NEXUS industrial hub with news it will be a "regional job precinct", said he wouldn't rule out further support.
"Regardless what's left in the fund, if we believe that those communities need additional stimulus and support, we should be open to that," he said.
"I'll be making representations to the Treasurer ... at the end of the day, he needs to sign off on it."
Premier Gladys Berejiklian did not commit to unlocking unspent funds in November, and Albury mayor Kevin Mack doubted it would occur.
"I've been told it's gone," he said.
"I just hope there's a few more announcements that will take a bit of pressure off our businesses."
Asked if NSW would only close its border again in line with national hotspot definitions, Mr Barilaro said "history is a good predictor of the future".
"With the possibility of the UK strain coming into our community [from Queensland], we still did not lock down the border," he said.
"Because we use a mature, balanced approach of managing risk.
"I think our history shows that we don't treat a border like a light switch and just turn it off and on."
"The border has been closed by the Victorian Government - really, the onus is on them.
"But ... I'm open to suggestions and seeing what else we can do to."
Victoria has issued more than 200,000 permits for entry and 2633 exemptions; only four exemptions requests have been rejected.
Cr Mack said his understanding was the closure would be in place until "the end of February".
"I hope it's the end of January. Things are going in the right direction," he said.
Cr Mack supported a push by Farrer MP Sussan Ley to establish a national protocol to guide border closures, but added "it's a little bit late".
"Our frustration from day one has been that hit-and-miss approach by the states, and the way we've been treated," he said.
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"I congratulate Sussan on taking that approach, because I think it's really timely, but that should have been there from the start."
A spokesman for Ms Ley said she wrote to both state Premiers two weeks ago.
"The goal is no different to what the Prime Minister, NSW Premier and, we assume, the mayor also wants; a national hot-spot approach and efficient backup contact tracing rather than shutting us down when a COVID case emerges hundreds of kilometres away," she said.
"The new year lockdown by Victoria pushed an enormous number of tourism and business operators in Farrer to the absolute edge.
"Put simply, they have had enough, and will not survive if hard border closures continue."
