Millions of dollars in funding has been committed to help flood-ravaged towns in central western New South Wales recover from the 2022 disaster.
Premier Chris Minns has promised $50 million to help communities rebuild.
The money will be available to rebuild and retrofit homes, using materials that can withstand future flooding.
It has been almost a year since Eugowra was hit by what locals described as a wall of water that washed away buildings and killed two of its residents.
Other towns in the Cabonne district, including Molong, also sustained extensive damage.
The money will also be available to residents in the Forbes district, which experienced major flooding that lingered for months.
“I want to make sure the money is on the table for those communities as we go through the difficult task of rebuilding … the Central West,” Mr Minns said.
The Cabonne and Forbes councils and their communities have been calling for more funding and government support since the flooding.
The Independent state MP for Orange, Phil Donato, said the federal government should contribute the same amount.
“This money is certainly welcome,” Mr Donato said.
The funding announcement comes as a federal inquiry prepares to investigate the response by insurance companies to the flood emergency.
The Independent federal MP for Calare, Andrew Gee, says he expects Central West residents will get to share their flood recovery experiences face-to-face with the inquiry next year.
Mr Gee is on the federal committee and said its members were currently collating data lodged by the insurance industry.
He said while organisations had until today to lodge submissions, there was no deadline for individuals.
“I think the insurers have been pretty active in rounding up stories that they would like heard,” Mr Gee said.
“So I think it’s really important that we hear from the many residents in our area who have had a bad experience.
(ABC)
