Greg Wiltshire says Cudal 'forgotten' after flood flashes through town

Cudal was smashed by floodwaters last month, leaving cars submerged, bridges forcibly relocated and residents left displaced.

And they still are.

While other townships in the Cabonne Shire have had visits from federal government officials since November 14, the pain and anguish in Cudal remains relatively unheard of.

More than a month on, cars remain in paddocks and many townspeople there feel forgotten, which is why resident Greg Wiltshire says the time has come to raise the alarm for more support.

The people of Cudal need help; or, at the very least, for someone to listen.

"It's gotten to the point where something needs to be done, no one's listening to us out here," Mr Wiltshire said on Friday.

"Sandbags are laying out, our drains are blocked, the culverts are full of dirt, there's piles of debris and domestic rubbish on streets and in the creek - the bloody footbridge is still in the creek, for crying out loud.

"Imagine living like that, where there's constant triggers around of what's happened and a daily reminder of traumatic events.

"It's heartbreaking and we need help, but no one's listening."

More than one month on from the November 14 devastation, Mr Wiltshire has been the "go-to guy" for many in the village, which is home to just shy of 550 people.

Also the president of Cudal Bowling Club, he's more or less fallen into the role of community ambassador with flood-affected residents feeling "lost and confused" - unsure of where to go, who will help, and what to do next.

While individual council members "have been fantastic", Mr Wiltshire said he and other locals have been fulfilling larger-scale duties every day.

Clearing debris and collecting rubbish are just two of those tasks, along with residents organising their own tradespeople but still being out-of-pocket while waiting for reimbursement.

A township described as basically being left to fend for itself, Mr Wiltshire said many residents have felt forced into taking matters into their own hands.

"And it's been like this since the beginning," he said.

"People in Cudal were also impacted by the recent flood and it feels like people are hearing and responding to [only two towns] and not hearing 'Cabonne' as a whole - not realising that a fair whack of people here also no longer have homes or their businesses.

"There's basically just myself and about half-a-dozen other people who've been keeping this town together with minimal [outside] help and we're really tired, we're exhausted.

"And I can't even begin to imagine what people in Eugowra are going through, it's absolutely horrific out there ... I just hope they don't feel this lonely."

Of the centrally-based residents and business owners in Cudal, Mr Wiltshire said there were 14 homes rendered completely unfit for occupancy with a total of 35 flood-affected premises.

On the outskirts of town, this figure added another 45 flood-torn spaces to that list.

Well-aware that these numbers are still incomparable to Eugowra, Mr Wiltshire drew focus on the human element of it all - that despite the figures, peoples' welfare and wellbeing are equally important.

Which is why he says more needs to be done to help families whose homes have been hit and still has sandbags barricading doorways.

"And those same people have lost their business at Molong, so imagine coming home to that trauma every day," he said.

"There were also dogs living in cars and pets that still can't be contained between properties because there's no fencing and a displaced parent is living in a caravan with his two children and is a nervous wreck because there's no security and no way to pay for it.

"My parents are living in a half-empty shop that a friend had just bought to start a business, so people are lost in general and feeling like Cudal just isn't on the radar or a priority at all."

Only recently discovering the extent of the flood-damage in his own house, Mr Wiltshire said he called the bank to put a pause on he and his wife's home loan.

This was met with confusion and and hearing 'but Cudal didn't flood?' on the other end of the line, which the gym owner said only compounded how "forgotten" the village is at the moment.

"You can't even be pissed off when what's happened is no one's fault, but this is really, really frustrating," he said.

"And I know we're not the only ones, I know it's not council's job to fix peoples' private fences, and I know workers are stretched thin at the moment.

"But when there's still pump hazards at our common field with nowhere for kids to go, chemical drums, and sharp tin and metal sticking out of the ground, at what stage are we expected to remain patient until?

"Isn't peoples' mental health and personal safety more important?

"We're more than four-weeks on since it happened and we're still having to try to have our voices heard, this just isn't cool."

After speaking with the Central Western Daily on December 16, Cabonne Council removed the footbridge on Saturday morning, December 17.

Mr Wiltshire is now awaiting a meeting with council scheduled this week, where he will discuss the needs of the township further.

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