BY JACK SEYMOUR
Hunter businesses could soon be required to accept cash for essential items like fuel and groceries.
It comes as the Federal Government moves to begin consultation on the mandate before the end of the year, while also planning to phase out cheques by 2029.
While still legal tender, there's currently no legislative requirement for businesses to accept cash as payment.
Business Hunter CEO Bob Hawes says mandating the use of cash could be seen as inconvenient for some businesses, despite the benefits for older generations.
"It's just not convenient to be handling cash these days and those costs need to be considered.
"It could be seen as an overreach by some and in other cases it is a defensive mechanism which I can understand, particularly in the case of older people who are used to using cash and do not want to entertain the prospect of entering the digital market for their transactions."
