Small business owners have described the recent visit from Minister for Small Business Damien Tudehope and NSW Small Business Commissioner Robyn Hobbs as a "slap in the face".
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Enchanted on Conadilly co-owner Jodi Dolbel told the NVI that the state government had "no clue what the drought looks like to everyone who is affected by it".
"The reason us 'country people' have the attitude of 'it will come good again' is because we don't have a choice," Mrs Dolbel said.
"We can't quit our jobs and get one that pays better because we own this [business]. We can't sell up and move because our houses aren't worth anything and we would end up living in an a broken-down car on the river bank."
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Mrs Dolbel said the visiting government officials didn't tell small business owners "anything we didn't already know."
"There is no direct assistance through any form of grants [related] directly to retail or any other businesses that aren't actually farming," she said.
"The council has used grants to fund workshops, beautification of the town, and helping people to add to the aesthetics of the main street, but that was a couple of years ago - that had no direct relation to the drought assistance at all."
Store co-owner Stuart Dolbel said the government should introduce a management deposits scheme for small businesses, to enable them to save enough to see them through "a hard year".
"We've been asking for it for a couple of years now so I think the [state and federal government] don't really care and I don't like the chances of it [being introduced]," Mr Dolbel said.