Reports of businesses at Dubbo copping some "flak" about mask rules has prompted an effort to get those at the coalface prepared with more knowledge.
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Dubbo Chamber of Commerce has organised COVID-19 Rules - Your responsibilities, rights and obligations as a business owner, an online session to run on Thursday morning.
Chamber president Matt Wright said it came about after receiving feedback from some business owners at the weekend, "about a little bit of flak they were copping from customers and mask wearing and requirements".
About 50 people have registered for the session, which is free and open to both members and non-members of the chamber, he says.
Dubbo MP Dugald Saunders and Business NSW western NSW regional manager Vicki Seccombe are on the line-up of guest speakers, and Service NSW representatives are attending.
Masks have been compulsory in all non-residential, indoor settings since 6pm on June 26 as NSW stepped up its response to a worsening COVID-19 outbreak in Sydney, as well as some outdoor settings.
Mr Wright said a significant number of community members were doing the right thing.
"It's a small minority of people for whatever reason that are deciding to either openly flout the regulations and rules, or just make the job challenging for business owners and their staff who are again, literally trying to ensure they're protecting themselves and their other customers," he said.
"So it's those people we're trying to talk to businesses about how to have those discussions with difficult people and maybe how to overcome some of the objections."
There were both chamber members and others booked to attend, Mr Wright said.
"A mixture of businesses across different industries, although predominantly those customer-facing, retail, hospitality, restaurants, bars, those sorts of things, makes up a majority of the numbers," he said.
It was masks, rather than the compulsory QR code sign-in that was the issue, the chamber president said.
"There just seems to be a lot of confusion, so trying to just instil a bit of confidence in businesses that they are doing the right thing is probably one of the things," he said.
Business owners wishing to attend the session should register in advance via the link on the chamber website.
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I have been a journalist for more than a decade and in that time I have been keeping Daily Liberal readers up to date about issues affecting them and what's happening in their community. Throughout my career I have covered a range of rounds and most recently I have been focusing on the business round.
I have been a journalist for more than a decade and in that time I have been keeping Daily Liberal readers up to date about issues affecting them and what's happening in their community. Throughout my career I have covered a range of rounds and most recently I have been focusing on the business round.
