Lachlan Shire Mayor John Medcalf is urging members of his community affected by the devastating 2022 floods to make the trip to Eugowra on Wednesday 3 September to talk with the staff of the NSW Reconstruction Authority.

He says it's an opportunity to have a direct conversation about access to support to recover from the last flood and be better prepared for the next.

‘’An expo is being held and residents who experienced any level of damage in the 2022 floods can apply for funding through the Resilient Homes Program, developed in consultation with the community and local leaders, to protect their homes from future extreme weather," Cr Medcalf said.

"In the aftermath of the devastating 2022 floods, properties severely damaged or destroyed in the floods were prioritised for immediate support and help to apply for support to repair, relocate, raise or buyback their homes through the Resilient Homes Program."

Finding tradespeople to complete homes and work on new developments has been cited by NSW Reconstruction CEO Ken Harrisson as one of the key reasons for delays on the project to rebuild communities and Lachlan’s mayor agrees.

‘’It’s a major problem with a rebuild for those effected and a big problem non-stop in our community.’’

Many people are progressing through the program to make flood-resilient changes to their homes.

Now homeowners whose properties were less severely impacted, such as those with water through the property but not inside their home, are being encouraged to apply for support to improve the resilience of their home and minimise the impact of future floods the NSW Reconstruction Authority CEO says.

One of the affected properties in the Lachlan Shire.

This could include raising power points and appliances like outdoor air conditioning units and hot water systems and installing water-resilient materials.

Funding through the Resilient Homes Program is being distributed across the impacted areas of Cabonne, Forbes, and Lachlan shires with more than 240 applications already received and 180 home assessments completed.

Lachlan Shire Mayor John Medcalf told the Western Plains App home and property owners have talked with him.

‘’Many along the river are affected so I have encouraged them to approach members of the NSW Reconstruction Authority face to face.’’

Ken Harrison Orana and Central West Director NSW Reconstruction Authority said he wants communities to think about planning ahead of any future disasters. 

“We don’t want a repeat of what happened back in 2022.

“Although we have been focussing on homes with severe damage, many smaller improvements and minor changes can also improve household resilience and reduce the impact and heartache of future floods."