JOBKEEPER payment cuts will be felt across the region as the subsidy program starts to be wound back on Monday, January 4.
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Businesses and employees reliant on the government subsidies will face a drop of up to $200 a fortnight.
Payments for employees working less than 20 hours per week will be reduced from $750 to $650 per fortnight, while payments for employees working 20 hours per week or more will be reduced from $1200 per fortnight to $1000 fortnight.
Concerns are that businesses still reliant on Jobkeeper payments will have to reduce employees working hours following the reduction in the subsidies.
Industries including tourism, hospitality and retail are still operating below normal levels, however regional economies appear to have bounced back strongly.
For many businesses across the Central West and Western NSW, the main concern is how the program has been conducted rather than the current reductions in payments.
Village Bakehouse Retail Operations Manager, Taylor Stevenson, said that while both their Dubbo and Orange stores had come through the past nine months relatively well, more could be done.
"We have been lucky to still have some tourism across the region but also the strong support of locals, and that helped us keep all our staff employed " he said.
"While lowering and eventually getting of JobKeeper payments isn't great, I can understand why the government has gone down this path, especially with the way the COVID numbers were previously decreasing.
"I think the government needs to look at a different approach that takes into account the industry that businesses are in and what restrictions they are facing.
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"Those hardest hit should get the support needed and try to balance that with businesses that don't need as much help.
Bathurst Business Chamber President, Catherine Fitzsimons, agreed saying that while the JobKeeper program had been a massive boost, the program could adjusted to better suit business needs.
"It's too soon to say how the cuts will affect businesses across the region however they do come at a very difficult time," she said.
"These measures have been great in times of need, however with lockdowns and restrictions continuing to appear across the state perhaps the program should be a more targeted approach rather than painting everyone with the same brush.
"Hospitality, tourism, travel, these are just some of the industries that are still struggling and could use more assistance than others who have not been as affected by COVID.
"Tailoring a response and even getting state and local government to look at a more local approach would certainly be more advantageous to what is currently being offered."
Jack Evans, President of the Orange Business Chamber, said that the JobKeeper cuts might not affect Orange and the Central West as much as other regions.
"We have fared pretty well all things considered," he said.
"A lot of businesses only qualified for the first round of JobKeeper funding and have bounced back well.
"JobKeeper certainly helped businesses through a tough time during lockdown and tight restrictions but as those have eased, businesses have been able to not have to rely on the subsidies.
"There is some concern that funding might be cut or ended prematurely but only time will tell, we don't have a crystal ball and will have to wait and see how current restrictions progress."
While JobKeeper is set to end on March 28, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said there were plenty of other financial incentives in place to help people.
"The Government has always maintained that JobKeeper was a temporary program designed to taper off as economic confidence and momentum builds," he said.
"In the Budget we saw a whole series of measures which are now starting to take effect.
"These important new measures continue to build on the Morrison Government's Economic Recovery Plan by creating jobs, rebuilding our economy and securing Australia's future."
The cuts in JobKeeper subsidies follows a decrease in additional JobSeeker payments, which were cut from $250 to $150 per fortnight, with JobSeeker also due to finish at the end of March.
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