Wee Waa based businesses are highly dependent (82%) on agriculture and irrigation water availability. Cotton accounts for over half of their business income (51%). * Business turnover has increased significantly (77%) with increased irrigation water supplies during 2012, but employment levels in small business have not. One third of businesses in the main street have changed ownership since the worst of the drought in 2008. * Staff recruitment, especially skilled labour, is one of the biggest challenges facing small businesses as employment levels slowly increase with better water availability. * Drought caused significant social and community impacts due to the reduction in population * There is a high degree of social and economic interdependence of Wee Waa businesses, surrounding farms and community services. They all depend on each other. * There is a currently a changing socio demographic in Wee Waa due to rising housing costs in Narrabri associated with the expanding minerals industries. Housing is now in short supply in Wee Waa, which is the complete opposite situation being experienced during the drought