But some are still searching for a financial lifeline that will enable them to recover after months of reduced trading.

Transport for NSW has indicated that Moss Vale Road at Barrengarry Mountain will re-open in July, pending no further issues being discovered during repair work. This reopens the critical link between Kangaroo Valley and the Southern Highlands months ahead of the initial six month completion timeline estimated when the road was closed in April.

Read more: Why UOW recorded a $24m loss as others saw bumper profits

For Karen Barker, owner of Valley Vintage, it's positive news that has been a long time coming.

"They've done an amazing job, but it's still been four months without business," she said.

"After COVID, bushfires, floods, it's really hard to stay positive."

Ms Barker thought that good news comes in pairs, when she received a letter from local MP Gareth Ward on Tuesday stating that businesses like hers may be eligible for NSW Disaster Recovery Grants of up to $50,000, but soon found out that she would have to be content with the return of traffic down the mountain.

"I was really excited when that letter came but we don't qualify for it because you have to have physical damage to your businesses as far as buildings or stock goes," she said.

In reply to questions on notice from Mr Ward, the Minister for Small Business Eleni Petinos said that businesses in Kangaroo Valley affected by extensive rains can apply for the Disaster Recovery Small Business Grant.

The grant is available to businesses in disaster affected regions, including the Kiama LGA due to severe weather and flooding from February 2022, but to be eligible, businesses must have suffered 'direct damage', meaning a direct and material impact of flooding on businesses or equipment. Businesses that lose turnover because visitors cannot access the town do not qualify.

Ms Barker said she has lost 80 per cent of weekday trade and business has dropped by half on weekends. The store has reduced hours and had to let staff go.

Mr Ward said if businesses such as Ms Barker's could not receive the payment then he would advocate for more flexibility in the grant process.

"There needs to be some greater flexibility in this grant so that the impacts of the road closure would allow businesses to access this," he said.

Treasurer of the Kangaroo Valley Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Natalie Harker said that Ms Barker is not alone.

"People are feeling the pinch," she said. "Not everyone's been able to hang on, that's a reality too, our shops have been closed."

While locals have tried to help out, shopping more locally can only go so far to make up for the loss of the tourist trade.

"There's only so much local you can buy. We were a through road from the Southern Highlands to the South Coast," Ms Harker said.

"We are still getting visitors on the weekend, and we really appreciate them but our midweek hasn't been sustainable."

One business that is hoping to be successful in applying for the grant is AJ & JL Good Dairy. The dairy cattle have struggled with the constant wet weather, Alex Good explained.

"The biggest thing was the impact on animal health. It wasn't necessarily the volume of rain, but just the fact that it went on for so long with no break, that at some point, the animals can't cope anymore," he said.

Cows were injured and suffered infections from having constantly wet feet, leading to higher vet bills.

"That's the whole part of dairying is animals come first and whether or not you can afford it, you just have to. You've just got to do it."

In addition to damaged laneways and lost feed, a quad bike was also written off after being constantly driven through the mud to move the livestock.

If successful the grant will go towards the cost of resurfacing the laneways with gravel to prevent damage in the future.

With more wet weather on the way, Mr Good said the funds would help to begin the process of getting back to normal.

"It would mean we can tidy up any bills we're owing and get us back above water, and then invest back in the farm to try and mitigate against this happening again," he said.

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