Since the board reformed last November Ms Lovett said a few matters had to be sorted through, not the least of which was the Peter Allen Festival. Plans to move the 2020 festival to the warmer end of the year and structure it around venue-hosted events subsidised by the chamber have since been shelved due to COVID-19.

Focus has now shifted to four weeks on live music in Bruxner Park starting the last week of September. Ms Lovett said musicians have been particularly hard-hit with a lack of gigs around town, and this outlet will not only aid them but create a positive vibe in town and help to reactivate businesses, drawing in locals and tourists alike.

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Board members have monthly meetings with Tenterfield Shire Council representatives following the council meeting for an update on relevant issues. Ms Lovett said the chamber has a really good relationship with council, and the regular meetings aid transparency and keep the chamber up-to-date on matters like the recent development fees relief (which the chamber was very pleased to see) and tourism campaigns.

The chamber is going to pass on information with planned online update sessions, potentially incorporating some quick recorded videos to increase communication with its members.

Other chamber projects include subsidised training in business decision-making on October 19/20, planned to be held at the TAFE College (depending on the number of participants). An eCourse on business marketing plans, social media and resources for business expansion is also to be held in conjunction with council.

Ms Lovett said these training opportunities are timely given the challenges that businesses are currently facing, although there have been winners and losers. She is relieved to see that farmers who had so much trouble accessing Farm Household Allowance are often now eligible for JobKeeper, given the reduction in livestock numbers as a result of the drought. The building industry is also busy, undertaking many grant-funded projects for council and looking at longer term gains through home building stimulation measures.

The retail and hospitality sector, however, remains hard hit although Ms Lovett has seen some businesses embrace the opportunity to rethink how they do business and take it online. She's aware of one who now does 50 per cent of its sales through Instagram.

"There's an increased focus on how business can work in the cloud," she said, "making these training opportunities perfect."

She's relieved to see government support options become more accessible and streamlined, although would still like to see some mechanism where all options are presented in one place.

The chamber's normal $155 a year membership is being waived for the 2020/21 financial year for businesses joining before December 31, thanks to the chamber fully subsidising the fee courtesy of a Tenterfield Shire Council bushfire recovery grant.

Ms Lovett is hoping the move will allow the chamber to build on its current membership of 207, already the highest she has seen since her involvement with the organisation. It also gives these members access to the resources of Business NSW.

More members not only strengthen the chamber's voice but increase the appeal of the chamber's gift cards which promote local shopping. A feasibility study of the costs of operating the existing Why Leave Town cards showed the program structure was not cost-effective for the chamber.

While the Why Leave Town cards in circulation will be honoured, a new Tenterfield True card is being phased in. It will operate in the same manner, essentially being an EFTPOS card issued at certain outlets and then redeemable at participating businesses throughout the shire. The chamber is planning more activities around the Tenterfield True card.