Almost two years after Eugowra in the New South Wales Central West was engulfed by an inland "tsunami", governments have announced a $40-million housing program for the region's flood survivors.
The state and federal government-funded Resilient Homes Program is available to home owners in the Cabonne, Forbes, Parkes and Lachlan local government areas hit by the disastrous November 2022 floods.
Residents in Euabalong in the Cobar shire may also be eligible for the initiative.
The scheme has three tiers of assistance:
- Buybacks: About 20 homes will be eligible in Molong, Eugowra and Parkes.
- Resilience measures: These includes retrofitting, house raising and rebuilding a more flood-resilient home with grants between $50,000 and $100,000.
- Assessments: A flood expert provides advice on how to improve a home's ability to withstand floods.
An extreme flash flood inundated Eugowra in November 2022. (Supplied: Mat Reid)
The NSW Reconstruction Authority has conducted flood mapping to determine eligibility for each type of assistance.
The program will take into account individual circumstances, and will seek to prioritise vulnerable residents.
Reconstruction Authority CEO Mal Lanyon said the homes most at risk of significant damage and loss of life in future floods had been identified for voluntary buybacks.
"Where the flood mapping, where the experts, where local knowledge and where previous flood studies have indicated people are at the highest risk, we want to offer the best opportunity for those people," he said.
"It would be remiss of us to then offer another strategy that actually kept that risk with the people."
Home owners who do not accept a buyback would not be eligible for other assistance.
Scheme 'too late' for some
Laurie Jones lives on the banks of the Mandagery Creek, and his house has been identified as eligible for a buyback.
Laurie Jones says he wants to stay in Eugowra, the community where he was born. (ABC Central West: Lani Oataway)
His insurance did not cover storm water, so he has been fixing his house out of his own pocket, and some government grant money, after 1,200mm of water went through his home.
Mr Jones, who was born and raised in Eugowra, said he would not accept a buyback unless it allowed him to stay in his community.
"It depends how much money they're offering on a buyback — will they give me enough so I can buy another house?" he said.
"I'm an aged pensioner now, I can't afford getting a loan and trying to buy a house at my age."
Pat and Leanne Jones' Eugowra house has been slated for the resilience measures stream — however, their rebuilt home is almost ready for them to move back in.
Pat and Leanne Jones are about a week away from moving into their rebuilt Eugowra home. (ABC Central West: Lani Oataway)
"We will go through the application and have a look at it, but now that we've got [the house] back together, we might not want to go that way, because it's taken a lot of our own money to get it fixed," said Pat Jones.
"It's probably too late for us and too late for a lot of people, but there are still a lot of people here who need help."
Community group seeks more funding
President of the Eugowra Progress Association Sean Haynes said $40 million for the program was a start, but Central West communities would need more funding.
"We've continued to advocate that the community needs more reassurance that there's more funding there," he said.
"From the initial interest in the program, we envisioned that it isn't enough.
"That $40 million is spread across four local government areas."
Sean Haynes says the program will need more funding. (ABC Central West: Lani Oataway)
The federal Emergency Management Minister, Jenny McAllister, and NSW Minister for Emergency Services, Jihad Dib, said they would assess the demand for the program before committing further funds.
"Let's work through this program, let's see where we get to, if there is something that is needed further down the track then that's another conversation to have," Mr Dib said.
Applications for the program open on Monday.