The NSW Government will embark on a program of community engagement sessions in the Central West to ensure residents impacted by the 2022 floods have their say on the design and delivery of the $40 million Central West Housing Program.
The Program aims to build stronger, safer communities with measures that help households most at risk from future floods by increasing the resilience of their home or removing themselves from harm's way.
Following the NSW school holidays, from Tuesday 23 July, the NSW Reconstruction Authority will hold 12 information sessions across three weeks in Cabonne, Forbes, Lachlan and Parkes Local Government Areas to gather feedback on participation requirements, proposed Program measures and their suitability.
At each session, residents can view flood risk information, talk directly with flood experts about how the prioritisation maps were developed and share their feedback on the proposed approach for the Program.
Proposed measures include grants for a range of resilience measures, such as raising and retrofitting, home rebuilds and home relocations and a voluntary scheme to buy back properties in the highest flood risk zones.
For residents impacted by the 2022 floods, free in-home assessments will also be offered.
Feedback from the community information sessions will be used to finalise the guidelines for the Program.
The Resilient Homes Program is jointly funded by the Commonwealth and State Governments under the $100 million Central West Recovery and Resilience Package.
For more information about the Community Information Sessions, click here
Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully:
"We want to make sure the Program is informed by the knowledge and experience of flood-affected communities in the Central West.
"What people want most is to get back into their homes as quickly and safely and get on with their lives, and we are committed to helping them do just that.
"There are no simple fixes, but we are committed to supporting and working with communities as they recover. We are in this for the long haul."
Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib said:
"We know how important community-led recovery is and that's why we're asking for feedback to help finalise the design of this Program which has been shaped through engagement with community leaders.
"This Program has the potential to change the future of the region and we look forward to local input in supporting communities across the Central West now and into the future."
Member for Orange Phil Donato said:
"Communities across the Central West are known for their strength and grit in the face of hardship.
"We want to keep these communities together and the best way to do that is to ask them for their help.
"I'm pleased to say that from 23 July, we'll be asking residents for their feedback, so we can design a program that meets the needs of our region."
