Flood victims 'have lost hope' months on from disaster
Residents in the NSW Northern Rivers whose homes were heavily damaged in the floods earlier this year say they are stuck as they struggle to get access to government support.
Bungawalbin local Keeley Patch last spoke with Today from her verandah as she waited for rescue while floodwaters lapped into her house.
Now, almost five months later, she said no repairs have been made and she has repeatedly been rejected for the government support grant.
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NSW Northern Rivers resident Keeley Patch told Today she has been rejected four times for the government assistance grant. Today
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"There's just - there's so many people struggling at the moment," Keeley told Today this morning.
"I'm exhausted, everything is just draining me at the moment - everyday there is new problems, everyday there is something else going on that I have to deal with that makes everything even harder."
Keeley said she has had no repairs done since the floods and her house has "been ripped apart", with no kitchen to use.
Floodwater inundate cars in the Northern Rivers region of NSW. Getty
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"There is still a long way to go before it will be ready to put anything back in and start the rebuild," she said.
"I still have take out the bathroom and it's a slow process."
Keeley said while the community have banded together as best they can, there are very little workers and no supplies coming in to help with the rebuild and she has been rejected for the government support grant four times already.
Keeley Patch spoke to Today from the balcony of her flooded NSW home. Today
Communities in NSW's Northern Rivers are desperate for more support in the flood clean-up. Getty
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"There's just no access to the grant, so without any support like that for me I can't begin to take the next steps at all," she said.
"I'm kind of just stuck waiting to hear back from everyone - so there's just not a lot of hope with that left, I guess."
Watch the full interview with Keeley above
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