A decision to delay travel from Sydney to regional New South Wales until November 1 has been met with a mixed response across the state. 

Port Macquarie MP Leslie Williams said the easing of restrictions ahead of summer would bring in important tourist dollars.

"What's really critical at this point in time of the roadmap is that we make sure we also balance health concerns with economic strategies going forward, making sure that we can support our small businesses as we head into the summer months, which of course is so critical in our particular area as the tourism season comes around."

In NSW, 77.8% of people aged 16 and over are fully vaccinated, with more freedoms set to return when the state reaches 80% coverage.

Regional travel was meant to be among the restrictions lifted at this milestone — expected to happen on Monday — but will now be delayed due to low vaccination rates in many areas.

Some regional areas are lagging up to 20 to 30 per cent behind. In the Byron Bay local government area (LGA), in the state's north, only 47.1 per cent of those eligible to get a vaccine have had two doses.

The state government has announced financial support for eligible businesses in regional areas inconvenienced by the change, with a $200 million stimulus package.

Deputy Premier Paul Toole said he understood the decision would be frustrating for many people, but it was made to protect the regions.

"It is too early and we know that if we wait another two weeks, we'll be in the same position as what Sydney is today," he said.

"That we will see more than 70 per cent of our regional local government areas being double vaxxed."

'A good start'

The decision has been welcomed by many regional MPs and mayors.

Lismore MP Janelle Saffin said it was a smart move. 

"It's clear that Sydney is starting to listen to us. That's all of us MPs and mayors and councillors, saying put the brakes on," she said. 

"So, it's a good start, and I hope it comes with conditionality that they're looking and seeing as our rates go up."

"There are obviously real concerns that there will be COVID coming to the region in numbers that we haven't seen," she said.

"The government needs to make sure that our health services are capable of the rising COVID cases that are inevitable."

The Mayor of the Shoalhaven Council, Amanda Findley, also said delaying travel from Sydney was a wise decision.

"Take a place like Shoalhaven that has 91 per cent of first vaccinations but only 73 per cent of second vaccinations.

She said there were Indigenous communities and other smaller communities where it was still at 65%,

"That's still not reaching the target that the state wants us to reach, and until we get to that point, we should still not be open," she said.

"Everybody wants to have their freedoms back, everyone wants to see tourism flourishing and our businesses back to normal and our workers back getting pay cheques, but we must ensure that we move forward safely.

"That we've got the systems in place to back up any of the decisions the government is making, and the government has to make sure, particularly our hospitals, are capable of coping."

Businesses keen for tourism trade:

The decision has been met with disappointment from some regional businesses, keen for extra tourism dollars.

Nelson Bay cafe manager, David James, said trade was still slow.

He said the community's health was the first priority, as was the mental health of staff and the health of the economy, but eateries like his depended heavily on customers from elsewhere. 

"We absolutely rely on Sydney and Central Coast. It is 80% of our trade," he said. 

"The sooner Sydney and the Central Coast people, Greater Sydney rather, come up here, the better."