MORE than a six weeks after devastating floodwater ripped through the village, some Broke residents say the massive clean-up effort they still face has been forgotten.
Looking down into the wash-out where his son's cubbyhouse once stood, Colin Latham said he needs about 700 cubic metres of soil to restore his yard.
With bird cages and fences strewn across the backyard, Mr Latham said he hasn't been able to begin cleaning up because, like much of Broke, he is still pumping water off the property.
"If I left this pump off, the yard would be full again by dark and I would have to start pumping again," he said. "I had thousands of dollars worth of chooks and birds out here but they are all gone. I just can't get in to fix things up because of the water."
Mr Latham had tried once to return to work since the flood. "I was that stressed that I had anxiety attack at work because I knew no one had turned my pump on," he said. "I came home that night at 7.30 and pumped for another two hours. I'm having dreams of pumps."
He said Singleton council had focused much of its recovery efforts around Wollombi Street/Broke Road.
"They have prettied around two streets back from the main road and that's about it. They have forgotten about all of us. They don't give a crap."
At the start of August, the NSW government announced $700,000 in funding to fix the erosion holes in Broke. With the council coordinating the process, it said 95 per cent of properties had now been completed.
"Locations of erosion holes within this scope will include areas within 50m of residence," council's director infrastructure and planning services Justin Fitzpatrick-Barr said.
But Mr Latham said he hadn't received any assistance from council so far. With one erosion hole still under his front fence and substantial erosion in the backyard, he said all filling so far had been completed by he and his neighbour, Chris Durgali, at their own cost.
"Council won't touch it because it's private property," Mr Durgali said. "So I've had to buy dirt in. I've blown about $1200 just on dirt and it's not near enough to fill what I need."
The two Adair Street residents said the council had refused to pump a "lake" of water, more than 10m across, sitting at the end of their street and had told them Bulga Coal pumps, which council operates with help from the community, could be removed as early as next Saturday.
"Council has not put anything out saying they are going to pull the pumps next weekend, there has been no notice," Mr Latham said.
"When they pull the pumps whatever water is in my yard stays in my yard."
Council said discussions surrounding the pumps are ongoing. "Because the water table is so high in Broke, ground water continues to be an ongoing impediment to recovery efforts," Mr Fitzpatrick-Barr said.
With land swaps and buy-backs for flood-affected communities floated by the NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet this week, Mr Latham said he'd like to see the option for Broke. Having moved to the village 15 years ago, Mr Latham said he never expected floodwater through his backyard but with more rain predicted for the end of spring, he is worried.
"I want council to buy the whole place off me and I'll go. Singleton council or the government won't do that here," he said.
"It's a great place to live but council just don't want to do anything."
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