Our businesses are starting to noticeably feel it’s impacts. Anecdotally, we’ve known it for a while and now there are the numbers to back it up.

The survey found 84 per cent of businesses indicated they were impacted by the drought, 43 per cent of which said the current drought was “far more severe” than previous droughts.

About one in three affected businesses indicated the viability of their business was at risk due to the current drought conditions, and more than two in three affected businesses indicated they would scale back investment and reduce capital compared to previous plans.

On average, affected businesses indicated they may have to reduce staffing levels by 1.5 employees. The numbers don’t lie. Our businesses are hurting.

And perhaps the most telling number is the number of respondents – NSW Business Chamber regional manager Joe Townsend said the drought-impact survey had the largest number of responses the chamber has ever seen, which goes to show the level of concern throughout the wider business community.

The downturn in business has mirrored the drought – for months, it’s been lurking in the background, slowly creeping up. However, in the past three months many businesses have started to feel the real pinch, as croppers missed sowing their winter crops.

The NSW Business Chamber has suggested a number of steps the state government could take to help keep businesses afloat during these tough times. One that has potential is the drought-focused business concierge service – a one-stop shop for business owners, where they can explain their specific situation to someone, who can then tell them which government services can help them.

But what can we as a community do to help? Buy local. Put down the laptop, stop shopping online. The drought will end and our businesses will survive, but as a community we need to be proactive.