Calare MP Andrew Gee criticises Nationals' reaction to Hill End fire, Eugowra flooding

But federal Nationals leader David Littleproud says he will be visiting the region in the coming weeks to engage with flood-affected locals at Eugowra "about what more could be done to ensure they are back on their feet as soon as possible".

And he says the party has been closely monitoring the long-term recovery in the Central West.

Mr Gee - who left the Nationals just before Christmas last year and now sits as an independent - has spared no criticism in a new statement on the aftermath of the apocalyptic Eugowra flooding and the sprawling bushire near Hill End that followed it.

He has accused the federal Nationals of only offering a hand when it suits them and having no shame.

He said federal Nationals leader Mr Littleproud and his shadow cabinet ministers had not set foot in Eugowra "or the disaster-hit Cabonne shire" and had been "playing politics, instead of helping devastated residents pick up the pieces".

"To add insult to injury, the NSW National Party could've activated a full suite of disaster measures before the state election but failed to do so," he said.

"Why wasn't David Littleproud demanding the NSW Nationals take action? It would be a joke if the hurt and heartbreak wasn't so real.

"Through all of this, the federal Nationals sat silent and were content to leave our residents to their pain and anguish while they jetted around other parts of Australia. They've been missing in action on the Hill End bushfires too.

"I believe this type of insincere charade is exactly why more and more Australians are turning away from the major parties."

He said the Nationals' "seven months of silence" since the disaster at Eugowra "shows they only offer a hand when it suits them" and "they have no shame".

The Alpha Road bushfire at Hill End broke out on March 5 and burnt through about 18,000 hectares in the weeks that followed, destroying homes and other structures and killing livestock.

Mr Gee has visited the Hill End district a number of times since - "in some parts it's like a moonscape," he said during a visit in mid-March - and has kept up the pressure on the state and federal governments for assistance for those affected.

In a statement provided to the Western Advocate in regards to Mr Gee's criticisms, Mr Littleproud said the Nationals had been closely monitoring the long-term recovery in the Central West, "allowing the state and federal governments the space to deliver their own disaster recovery initiatives".

"However, residents of those flood-impacted areas have let us know that state and federally co-ordinated efforts have stalled, so without any politics, I have asked the Prime Minister to oversee some of the issues raised," he said.

"I will personally be visiting the region in the coming weeks to engage with locals about what more could be done to ensure they are back on their feet as soon as possible."

The Western Advocate was also directed to a press release from last week in which Mr Littleproud said he wanted to work constructively with Labor to help flood victims in Eugowra get support for housing.

"It has been more than seven months since flooding hit Central West New South Wales," Mr Littleproud said in the press release.

"The Prime Minister acknowledged in Parliament that there are still ongoing problems after floods in New South Wales, that it's not good enough, and more needs to be done for the Central West community.

"I was pleased to hear the Prime Minister state he is now willing to do whatever is needed and give a personal commitment to work with The Nationals to get the answers local families deserve."

It's not the first time that Mr Gee and Mr Littleproud have been at odds in recent times.

When he made his shock announcement last year about leaving the Nationals, Mr Gee cited the party's position on the Voice to Parliament and the Federal Government's response to natural disasters in his electorate as two of his reasons.

"When I believe that our communities are not receiving the support they need at the speed at which they need it, I have to speak out," he said.

Mr Littleproud said at the time that Mr Gee "had always been free to make his own decision and vote accordingly about The Voice to Parliament" and made the same point during a recent interview on Sky News.

In the late May interview on Sky News, Mr Littleproud said that while he likes Mr Gee on a personal level, "the Nationals intend to come back and to reclaim Calare".

"This is about making sure that the movement for regional Australia, which is the Nationals, will be back in Calare and will give them that voice in federal parliament after next election," he said.

MEANWHILE, in a media release last week, Mr Gee said $75,000 Special Disaster Grants should be announced for Hill End.

"Farmers have lost feed, stock and a huge amount of fencing. It's going to take years to get them back on their feet," he said.

"The community has been amazing in donating hay, but there is still a whole lot of work that needs to be done.

"When Eugowra was hit by storms and floods, these vital grants were made available - now we need the same for the Hill End area; $75,000 can really help with new fencing materials and feed.

"The funding for these grants is a joint state/federal responsibility. The first step is for the NSW Premier to request them - which he has yet to do.

"The hurt and heartbreak in the Hill End district is still very real and continuing, and I have contacted the NSW Premier to ask that these crucial grants be activated.

"What is the hold up?

"All of these support measures could have been activated by the previous NSW Government, including the National Party, but weren't.

"The new State Government needs to get this assistance moving because the disaster-hit residents of our region are being treated like second-class citizens."

The Western Advocate contacted the office of NSW Premier Chris Minns for a response to Mr Gee's concerns about the hold up, but the Advocate had not heard back by time of publication.