Fast-tracking Cabonne's buy-back scheme the only 'realistic' solution for flood-torn homes

This is why the region's councillors say they "won't be backing down" in lobbying state and federal governments in the fight to accelerate the program.

Colossal damage across villages in the Central West continues to impact residents whose houses were decimated in the November 2022 floods.

Unpredictable weather patterns and the fear of future uncertainties plague these villages on a daily basis.

Under the current program, the voluntary buy-back scheme means one of those destructed properties - as a direct result of natural disaster - can be bought per annum across a two-year period.

This alternates between the purchase of one house in Molong for one of those years, and another property in Eugowra falling on the other.

Though to consider that there's a rough figure of nearly 70 flood-wrecked houses possibly eligible that's just not realistic.

At least not in this lifetime.

"We've identified potentially up to 67 houses across Cabonne which we believe would qualify for the buy-back scheme," Cabonne Shire's mayor, Kevin Beatty said.

"So we need to fast-track [the scheme] for the sake of these people and for them to be able to move on with their lives, because at the moment, they're in limbo with their futures.

"Given the timeframes that we have and under [the present scheme], it's just impossible for these residents to be able to move on and for us to help these people get their lives back on track."

Cr Beatty said council has asked both state and federal governments for the deluged properties to be bought back at their pre-flood value.

He said "we need to get these people out" from their destroyed homes, which are earmarked across those high-risk and flood-prone areas.

Moreover, the dominant purpose is to safeguard their overall welfare - with residents unsure of what to do now, and fearful of what's to come.

"Flood after flood, ripping up their carpets and having everything in their houses destroyed ... people have been through it and through it," Cr Beatty said.

"The impacts mentally are that they're feeling insecure and with the unpredictability of these weather patterns, they're frightened and they can't go through it anymore.

"They've been through enough."

In council chambers on February 28 to host the first ordinary meeting of the year, deputy mayor Jamie Jones said the buy-back battle is "well and truly" on council's agenda.

He said this push will remain a "high priority" in the ongoing lobbying, with council prepared for a long fight until change is achieved.

"We'll continue to lobby [because] it's crucial for those property owners the community can rest assured that we won't be backing down on this" Cr Jones said.

"Our buy-back scheme that the mayor has put forward is [understandably] much smaller than that put forward by Lismore.

"But we're certainly hopeful that what happened [there] with the buy-back scheme will happen for [our villages, too]."

Only able to submit data for two properties under the current program at this stage - one in Eugowra and one in Molong - Cr Jones said fast-tracking those costings has also been requested of state and federal bodies.

"The government is considering that at the moment and we'll continue to lobby that [as well]," he said in chambers.

Cr Jones also said that while Cabonne's flood recovery "won't be an easy road", it's one that councillors are all "committed to".

At this stage, its said there are also properties in Cudal and other deluged villages that could also be eligible for buy-back.

The Central Western Daily has reached out directly to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet, and Minister for Emergency Services and Resilience; Minister for Flood Recovery, Steph Cooke for comments on the possibility of an accelerated buy-back scheme for the Cabonne region.

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