Authorities are hoping gas can be restored to about 14,000 properties on the New South Wales Central Tablelands by the end of this week or early next week.
Floodwaters damaged a pipeline that runs under the Macquarie River at Bathurst last Thursday, cutting supplies to approximately 20,000 homes and businesses at Lithgow, Oberon, Wallerawang and Bathurst.
Gas company Jemena's operations manager Craig Farrugia said about 6,000 properties at Bathurst have been reconnected.
"Over the next 48 hours, we will complete the remaining 50 per cent, and our crews will be here for the remainder of the week to ensure that any customers that we've missed or need to recall, we'll get them back online," Mr Farrugia said.
The company says it is working to make the gas network safe in Lithgow, Wallerawang and Oberon.
Adam Watson, acting chief executive of APA Group, which manages the pipeline, said a 42-tonne LNG vessel was being brought to the district to allow temporary gas supplies to be distributed to affected customers.
"We are hopeful that we can get connections by the end of this week, early next week," Mr Watson said.
"That's a very hopeful statement."
Mr Watson said materials were being brought to the site to repair the damaged section of the pipeline, and surface works had started but were being hampered by the floodwaters and wet conditions.
He said the repairs would likely take a few weeks.
"We would expect that to be up and running by the first week of December," Mr Watson said.
Mass disruptions
The outage has forced residents to seek help from family, friends and neighbours to get a cooked meal or a hot shower.
The Bathurst, Oberon and Lithgow councils are also providing access to showers.
Bathurst cafe manager Amber Agatic is among the businesses who have had to temporarily close or cut back their services.
"About 70 per cent [of our kitchen] was on gas," Ms Agatic said.
"We're down from a big fryer and two grills … to one small grill and a temporary electric fire.
You've just got to push through.
"There's a lot of people who are cold and want a hot meal and struggling without gas at home, so you just do what you've got to do."
Ms Agatic said the community was banding together.
"We've taken on a few friends just to have showers, barbecues," she said.
"And we did a bit of a community barbecue last night just to give everybody a hot meal."
Bathurst resident Ashlee Livingston said her sister was among those who lost gas supplies at her house.
"My sister has been without gas for a few days, so she's had to come out to our parent's house and had a shower a couple of times, and she's had to bring her housemate," Ms Livingston said.
"[It's] pretty crazy because it makes things a lot harder.
"She's got to use power instead of using gas, so it's going to cost her a bit more, and cooking is a bit difficult."
Call for financial help
Jemena has refused to say whether it will waive gas bills for affected customers.
"Our priority is the reinstatement of gas supplies, so that's our primary focus at the moment," Mr Farrugia said.
"That's something that I'll have to take on notice."
The NSW government said it had started considering whether state and federal government assistance could be granted to home owners as well as businesses who had been unable to open their shops or had to limit trade.
"This is already in discussions," Deputy Premier Paul Toole said.
"This is important that we look at what support is to be [given] to individuals, to households and even to businesses and obviously, we'll be speaking with the federal government but also with the companies here as well."
