Businesses in western NSW should not have the responsibility of enforcing vaccination compliance under the threat of $5000 fines, Barwon MP Roy Butler says. The Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party member has criticised the government, saying it has put the onus on businesses to police the rules as the state's first reopening from COVID lockdown starts on Monday. Mr Butler is calling on the government to change the public health orders. Finance and small business minister Damien Tudehope said businesses needed to take "reasonable steps" to prevent unvaccinated people from entering but were not "expected to play police". NSW this week reached the crucial 70 per cent double-dose vaccination target that has triggered the first of three stages of reopening, to start on Monday. Non-essential retail, gyms, and hospitality venues are among the premises that will open up to fully vaccinated people only at Dubbo after being closed to the public since the city's COVID outbreak on August 11. On-the-spot fines of $1000 may apply to individuals for not complying with vaccination rules, and businesses not complying with the requirements may be subject to a $5000 fine, the government announced at the weekend. The measure has angered Mr Butler. "It's an unacceptable burden to place on local businesses who have been through an incredibly tough couple of years in Barwon - drought, mice plagues and COVID lockdowns have put a fair few businesses on their knees - now it's the burden of enforcing the government's vaccine passport by stealth," he said. "The new rules that come into effect on October 11 place businesses squarely in the firing line when enforcing the heavily debated vaccine mandate which sees people who aren't vaccinated excluded from certain businesses. "Local businesses could be up for $5000 fines if they're found to have anyone on their premises who isn't double vaccinated, this threat places a heavy burden on them to police the comings and goings from their business. "Many of my regional hospitality venues employ young people as wait staff or front of house staff. "Putting the onus on a 15- or 16-year-old to challenge an adult who may have very fixed views on vaccination, health privacy or the orders is far from ideal. "If mandating vaccines is the path that the NSW Government wants to go down then the responsibility to enforce it rightly sits fairly and squarely with them." Businesses at Dubbo had already told of having some nervousness about having to ensure all customers and patrons were double vaccinated, even before the government released its penalties regime at the weekend. Mr Tudehope said as NSW reopened, it was important businesses were "prepared to welcome back customers in a COVID-safe way". "Businesses need to take reasonable steps to prevent unvaccinated people entering a premises," he said. "They aren't expected to play police in these matters. "Some businesses such as essential retail, for example, supermarkets, will remain open to people who are not vaccinated. "Businesses can prepare for reopening day by having prominent signs stating requirements, Service NSW QR codes, staff checking vaccination status upon entry and only accepting valid forms of evidence of vaccination, or medical exemption." NSW health minister Brad Hazzard has previously addressed the role of police in the issue. "The police role will be if somebody is coming in to, for example, a retail outlet or a hotel, and are not presenting their evidence as is required, of their vaccination then of course the business proprietor or the person on behalf of the business proprietor will make a call to the police, and the police will then come," he said. "As health minister, I wouldn't expect and I don't think we as a community would expect the police to be at every facility or every restaurant or every retail shop - that's not what they do. "They are there to keep us safe from other aspects of unfortunately criminal activity."