Our Say | Eugowra flood anniversary: Government must step up to help struggling villages

You like peace and quiet. Life in the very, very slow lane is essentially bliss.

And that's exactly the case for those who call Eugowra home.

But after the events of November 14, when that peace and tranquillity was washed away by an inland tsunami, life has changed.

That isolation that the village thrived off ... it's almost too quiet now. And that's the thing.

While the initial clean-up efforts at Eugowra, and more broadly across the Cabonne shire, ensured the towns were a hive of activity, many now left in those townships are, understandably, feeling a little left out in the cold.

The quiet has returned, but all that's done is left many to relive the anguish.

Government grants have gone some of the way to help get families and members of the community back up on their feet, but $20,000 only goes so far.

And living on the banks of a creek made insuring anything of worth a monumental task - too great a cost for most in Eugowra to afford.

The Central Western Daily has spent time in the village of Eugowra in the lead-up to the one year anniversary of the November 14 floods.

Many at the village hold that quintessential Australian 'she'll be right' mantra dear. It's why most will often point to someone else in the village as worse off.

Collectively, though, they're all in this together. And the battle is only really beginning.

The emotional toll of the last 12 months is still so very raw.

The owner of the Eugowra Corner Store, Danny Townsend says talking about the floods and the battles the town has faced in the aftermath "helps us process stuff".

A look at the wall in his store where visitors have signed post the November disaster paints the picture. Many have come and gone ... but those left in the town, those who call it home, remain, still picking up the pieces.

That emotional battle is just one the town's people face.

Many residents are finding wall after wall blocking their pursuit of financial aid from insurers.

The Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) has visited Eugowra and Molong on several occasions to assist flood-impacted communities with their insurance claims. The last visit being in August.

As of then, and since the flood hit the region, more than 14,250 claims totalling approximately $222 million have been lodged, including 6878 home property claims, 4200 home contents claims and 798 motor vehicle claims.

While some residents have been left frustrated by a lack of assistance from the government, at a state and federal level.

Chris Minns' Labor Government has been in power since March and the new Premier is yet to visit the struggling shire.

Financial aid, emotional support, physical help; Eugowra still requires any and every arm of assistance this country's power brokers can offer.

It's not fair those who call a small part of regional NSW home have gone from life in the slow lane to life completely left alone.

We're almost a year down the track. Those still waiting for help deserve the attention now.

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