Gunnedah businesses and residents to benefit from NSW government's $100 stimulus voucher program, Dine & Discover

In an effort to get the community out and about again, the Dine & Discover stimulus will be available to NSW residents over the age of 18 through the Service NSW app, in the form of four $25 vouchers.

The money will support spending at Gunnedah businesses across the hospitality and entertainment industries such as cafes, pubs, restaurants, cinemas and theatres.

Trials of Dine & Discover began this week in The Rocks and Broken Hill, with the statewide program to be rolled out in March.

Gunnedah and District Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Juliana McArthur urged eligible businesses to get on board and register on the NSW government website.

"COVID-19 has had an adverse impact on our dining, arts and tourism sectors so this is a great initiative which Chamber supports, provided that the proper COVID controls are in place," she said.

"We need to keep our economy going.

"One person's spending is another's income, as the government well knows.

"The $25 vouchers should tempt people out."

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Gunnedah's Coal n Steel Smokehouse owner Cassandra Urquhart said she hoped the program would attract visitors to their business.

"Hopefully they come in for a free feed and they like it and it gives them an incentive to come back," she told the NVI.

Gunnedah Chamber has recently seen the success of encouraging the community to spend locally, having raised a whopping $4.4 million in 11 weeks in their Christmas Fair Shop Local promotion with a $20 entry to win.

Mrs McArthur added the benefits of the Dine & Discover program were twofold, as it's a real and welcome encouragement to business, and a reward for consumers.

"Businesses and entertainers are unlikely to refuse the opportunity to attract customers holding the vouchers, and consumers will be able to enjoy an experience they been wanting to do due to COVID-19 for some time," she continued.

"Chamber understands that the process to redeem the vouchers, having already been trialled successfully elsewhere, is straightforward."

Businesses must be registered as COVID-safe and operate as a cafe, restaurant, pub, tavern, bar or club, scenic and sightseeing transport business, cinema, museum, gallery or historic site, zoo, botanic gardens, wildlife park or nature reserve, performing arts operation, theatre or entertainment centre, amusement, theme or water park, recreational activity business such as go-karting, indoor climbing, mini-golf, billiards, bowling or an ice-rink, an outdoor adventure company, or a travel agency or tour business.