More than 100 applications for support to make homes more flood-resilient - or for a buyback - have been received by the Reconstruction Authority. It's a little more than two weeks since the $40 million Central West Resilient Homes program opened, and two years since the flood events that devastated the region. A NSW Reconstruction Authority spokesperson said there had been strong early interest in the program, and this followed extensive community consultation in the past year. Maps of the areas prioritised for different types of support are now available online, with some parts of Eugowra among those to be eligible for property buybacks. Much larger areas of both Forbes and Eugowra are flagged for resilience measures, which include raising or relocating a home, rebuilding a more resilient home or retrofitting homes with more resilient materials. The NSW Reconstruction Authority’s RHP team is currently assessing all applications. As of Monday November 11, there had been a total of 104 applications received: 48 of those from Cabonne, 39 from Forbes shire, 12 from Parkes shire and five from Lachlan shire. But residents still considering do have time. "Applications remain open, with no close date published at this time," the spokersperon said. "The RA’s focus is to ensure residents have the opportunity to apply for the program with enough time to best suit their recovery circumstances." To help, the customer engagement team has been in Forbes and Parkes for four days in the past two weeks and do have more visits in coming weeks. They will be in Forbes at the Council committee room from 10am to 4pm on November 25, December 2 and December 9. The team will be in Parkes at the Rose Street Community Centre on November 28 and December 5, 12 and 19. The Reconstruction Authority will also continue to be available in its Eugowra office, and in pop-up locations across the region. To find out where you can visit the RA team, visit https://www.nsw.gov.au/departments-and-agencies/nsw-reconstruction-authority/our-work/events or phone 1800 844 085.
