The Pyrenees Shire was among the hardest hit regions during the state flooding, with towns including Avoca and Natte Yallock among those struck. 

Contractors have visited more than 5400 locations throughout the shire which were impacted by the flooding including roads, bridges and drains across 3500 square kilometres. 

More than 2500 roads have been inspected throughout the shire since flooding began on September 9. 

The council has now employed six civil contracting teams, two tree maintenance contractors and two engineering contractors to work on the more than 5000 identified defects. 

Pyrenees Shire mayor Ron Eason said while works had begun on restoring those parts of the shire which had been hit hardest, the difficulties in accessing immediate funding had proved challenging. 

“The claims which have gone in are going into the departmental areas and being looked at then being paid when they can be, but the delay time is hurting us,” Cr Eason said.  “We've spent upwards of $1.5 million of our own council funds to get works underway but we haven't got a spare $15 million sitting there waiting to get repairs done.” 

In previous instances of natural disaster the shire has applied for an advanced payment from the National Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements fund, which is distributed by the state government. 

However it has only been in the last month that the full extent of the damage has been finally calculated.

Pyrenees Shire chief executive Jim Nolan said council representatives would look to sit down with the state Department of Treasury and Finance in the coming weeks to attain an advanced payment. 

The Southern Grampians Shire, which includes Hamilton and Dunkeld has already accessed an advanced payment following the flooding. 

“We haven’t been able to begin the process of applying for that payment until now because we haven’t had a complete picture of the damage,” Mr Nolan said.