A push to remove red tape hindering the flood recovery is underway as crucial stabilisation work is planned for Hawkesbury river banks.
A small roadbloack was removed on Monday when Hawkesbury MP Robyn Preston confirmed that "minor remedial work to reinstate previously approved pumps is considered an exempt activity under the Water Management Act 2000 and further approvals are not required".
A task group is being established to identify the immediate and long term issues related to the river bank damage after the floods, the MP announced.
Chaired by Resilience NSW, membership will include councils, NSW government agencies and industry representatives.
The developments came after Federal Macquarie MP Susan Templeman called on all levels of government to urgently ensure landowners can complete emergency stabilisation works on Hawkesbury river banks.
"The river banks have been left extremely unstable following the floods. There are massive holes along the riverbanks, some holes larger than Olympic swimming pools," she said.
"People are facing banks that have collapsed or are in danger of collapsing in multiple places, and local turf growers, vegetable farmers and caravan park owners have told me they need to get them fixed quickly to resume business and earn an income."
Ms Templeman raised the issue of turf farmers needing to get their pumps working properly "to aid recovery" as well as caravan parks needing "to shore-up their sites before people can come back in".
"Families want to be able to get back to their blocks safely, business need to re-start full operations. They need assistance, not red tape."
She agreed with the State MP that these issues needed to "be addressed urgently".
"Sackville Ski Gardens is one of many businesses that are in limbo until there's a resolution to this situation. When I visited on Thursday, owner Gary Hayes showed me where the banks had collapsed, and where they remained dangerous," said Ms Templeman.
"We need a system in place where people like Gary can be fast-tracked through the system to complete urgent works in a safe manner so they can get back on their feet again."
Co-manager of Sackville Ski Gardens, Shane Earl, said without urgent action both the business and the local economy would suffer.
"If we don't get some kind of progress or answers about what's going to happen with the river bank soon, we are going to be out of business," said Mr Earl.
"Our place is a caravan park where people use the river for leisure. If we can't provide that we will not have people here. We have 147 sites, they come from out of the area where they spend money in the town and shops."
Resilience NSW is currently working with Hawkesbury and The Hills councils to deliver a range of flood recovery strategies.
"The need to scope and quantify the damage to the river banks has been identified as a high priority and this work has commenced with SES and Public Works Advisory," said Robyn Preston.
The assessment phase of this work will continue as the last of the flood waters recede.
"The impacts of the floods in Hawkesbury have exposed a number of ongoing issues which need to be dealt with, not tucked away until the next flood and establishing this task group will cut red tape and help farmers recover as quickly as possible," said Ms Preston.
Any businesses or residents who require further assistance with clean-up, should contact Hawkesbury City Council at https://www.yourhawkesbury-yoursay.com.au/fih2021 and The Hills Shire Council at https://www.thehills.nsw.gov.au/Services/Our-Community/CommunityHealth-Safety/Emergency-Management.
Recovery Centres are also available at South Windsor Family Centre (6 Greenhills Way, South Windsor), North Richmond Panthers (33 Beaumont Avenue, North Richmond) and Wisemans Ferry, The Retreat (5564 Old Northern Road, Wisemans Ferry).