Community anger is simmering, as Wilcannia locals say support efforts don't go far enough.

Residents of Wilcannia have taken to social media to vent their frustrations at what they say is an inadequate response to the ongoing power outages and loss of food for many households.

The NSW Government says their community support package will total $4 million, including a $1.5 million contribution by Transgrid.

The package includes payments of $200 to each of the residential electricity account holders impacted by the outage and payments of $400 to impacted small-to-medium businesses.

Wilcannia locals are not impressed.

"$100 towards households, one hamper (forgetting overcrowded houses) and $200 towards our energy supply is a sick joke.

"It shows no care for those who've had to toss hundreds of dollars of food out," one commenter wrote.

"Have they seen the prices in Wilcannia? That wouldn’t even feed one person for a week let alone a whole household of people," another wrote.

One commenter was blunt - "It’s been a third world response… imagine if it was Canberra."

The original poster on the Wilcannia community Facebook page, and local resident has called for each affected town to seek legal advice.

"We out here in far western NSW all need to make a stand and lobby for a class action for the way we all have been treated," they wrote.

The storm that ripped through the region on October 17 impacted power supplies to Broken Hill and towns throughout the Far West of NSW.

Significant damage was been caused to transmission towers and the network supplying power to the region, which left homes and businesses without electricity.

The NSW Government says emergency work is continuing, and repairs to the network are progressing well and remain on track to be completed by 6 November 2024. 

"We are working with emergency services, government agencies and electricity companies to keep you connected in the short term while the issue is fixed as quickly as possible." 

“This is significant progress, and I want to thank our team who have mobilised from across Australia and who continue to put in an enormous effort to reinstate the main power supply to Broken Hill,” Head of Transgrid’s Far West Operations Response Sam Pickering said during the NSW Government’s Emergency Response Media Conference in Broken Hill today.

“With the solid progress made over the weekend, we are continuing to concurrently review the scheduling of energisation of the primary power supply with potential to complete slightly ahead of the current date of 6 November. We will continue to keep the community of Broken Hill informed of our progress.”

The promises seem to mean little to the residents of the Far West, who are now cleaning out freezers and fridges of ruined meat, and little trust to refill them, lest the power once again fail.

Further information:

• NSW Government storm response

• Funding and support