AS businesses struggle during drought conditions, one of the state government's ministers has assured them action was being taken.
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Minister for Small Business Damien Tudehope visited Trang Hue on Wednesday, which has benefited from the Business Connect program, run through Central West Business HQ.
Advice includes access to finance, digital strategy, building creative industries, procuring government contracts and support in language.
Owner Trang Le said the program helped her start from scratch, establishing an ABN so she could move towards setting up a food stall, then a food truck, then her restaurant in Summer Street.
"She started small, but she had big ideas," Central West Business HQ executive officer Wayne Sunderland said.
Ms Le said she had also benefited from regional forums and access to a business coach to help her with paperwork as English was her second language.
Mr Sunderland said 463 businesses within the Orange postcode had benefited from the program, with a further 97 in surrounding townships including Molong and Millthorpe.
There's been talk of a vacancy tax, but it's a tough call.
- Minister for Small Business Damien Tudehope on shop vacancies
It came as the Western NSW Business Chamber released the results of a business conditions survey, which revealed trade remained challenging due to weak household demand.
Regional manager Vicki Seccombe said low interest rates, competitive exchange rates and income tax cuts might eventually boost growth.
"However conditions remain subdued and are clearly affected by the drought and concerns with international trade," she said.
She said the Central West had fared better than further west, but was still "very much in negative territory" and all levels of government had a responsibility to address water requirements, high energy costs and investing the promised 30 per cent of the proceeds from the lease of the poles and wires.
Mr Tudehope said the government was making progress on water projects and had also offered help to businesses to find cheaper electricity deals.
Asked about the empty shops in Summer Street, where rent has been an issue, Mr Tudehope agreed it would affect foot traffic past remaining businesses.
"There's been talk of a vacancy tax, but it's a tough call and you would have to do a lot of monitoring to see whether it would cause undue hardship on landlords, but you don't want them to be holding out for the maximum dollars," he said.
To access the business connect program, click here.
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