More than 11 weeks after fires tore through Rainbow Flat on NSW’s mid-north coast, thousands of residents are trying to move on and rebuild their lives - and their homes.

But for some, losing their homes wasn’t the end of the battle: it’s proving to be just the beginning.

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Some homeowners are continuing to face frustrating hurdles as the burnt-out shells of their family homes line the roads.

Residents such as Mark Johnson, who lost his home, have been given the green light by insurers to rebuild - but it has taken time.

“It’s been a little slow,” he said.

“It’s understandable because at one stage there were 30 homes gone in New South Wales, now it’s 3000.”

Chevron Right Icon ‘At one stage there were 30 homes gone in New South Wales, now it’s 3000.’

In the Southern Highlands, the hold-up is being blamed on council red tape.

Wingecarribee Shire Council is charging residents wanting to re-build thousands of dollars.

“We can’t believe that we have to convince people that they need to care,” one resident told 7NEWS.

On Monday NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro toured the disaster zone, declaring more work needed to be done on preventing fires.

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“We’ve got to be better when it comes to fuel reduction, and I think that’s a debate we must have now,” he said.

“If we haven’t learnt that from this fire, we’ll never learn.”

Chevron Right Icon ‘If we haven’t learnt that from this fire, we’ll never learn.’

Locals say there were hazard reduction burns in the area just months before the November 8 ripped through the regions.

Residents said in the conditions, the hazard reduction burns made no difference.

“It just gets up in the trees and jumps and jumps, and you can’t stop it,” one resident said.