Broken Hill is getting ready for the end of lockdown next week with business owners welcoming the return of customers but stressing the need for individuals to stick to the rules.
On Monday, pubs, clubs, gyms, sporting facilities, entertainment venues and retail stores can reopen under specific rules as part of the state government's roadmap to opening up.
Individuals need to be fully vaccinated to attend venues, and must wear a mask indoors at all times, except when eating and drinking.
Broken Hill travel agent Cheryl Cuy said she was preparing to reopen her store and eventually employ a new member of staff, having survived more than 12 months with no bookings.
She said she hoped the return of international travel to and from Australia in November, announced by the Prime Minister last week, was the beginning of the end for the most difficult period her business had ever faced.
"It's a step in the right direction," she said.
Ms Cuy said, while the Prime Minster's' announcement was a relief, she was not expecting a rush of bookings for international flights yet.
She said at this stage most people were more interested in visiting family interstate than booking overseas holidays.
"They want to go to their families at Christmas time, a few that have international overseas families that they would like to go and visit for Christmas," she said.
"We might get a little bit of last minute bookings but more and more people just want the Australian borders to open up."
Open, but with rules
The manager of Broken Hill's Silver City Cinema, Ashton Wren, said they would do a soft opening Friday next week with several rules.
"Anyone aged 16 and under, who is not vaccinated, are welcome but they must be with a fully vaccinated adult."
He said he'd cap sessions at 100 people.
'We hope the public assists us'
Mr Wren stressed that the rules were government mandates, not ones cinemas put in place, after people opposed to the rules started messaging him online.
"I put a disclaimer on Facebook the other day with the rules and and regulations and I've had a couple of nasty messages," he said.
"It is all government. They're not my rules. As I said to them, 'You're going have to wait until the first of December when all vaccinated and unvaccinated people can go to the movies.'"
Douglas Coff, manager of the local Sturt Club, said everyone coming through their doors would be checked to make sure patrons they were fully vaccinated.
"I believe in Broken Hill our vaccination rates are quite high anyway, everyone's been doing the right thing and getting vaccinated where they can," he said.
Mr Coff also highlighted the financial impacts individuals and businesses could incur by breaching the rules.
That includes a $1,000 fine for individuals who breach public health orders and a $5,000 fine for businesses that fail to stop unvaccinated customers from coming into their venues.
