A mother of three terrorised by a man at her property in south-west New South Wales says she no longer feels safe in her home after Victoria Police failed to cross the Murray River to come to her family's aid.

The woman, who does not want to be identified for fear of reprisal, said she and her husband awoke to a shirtless man trying to break into their home at Murray Downs, close to midnight on July 16.

A 28-year-old man has been charged with aggravated burglary, theft, and theft of a motor car. ( Supplied )

She said she was forced to gather her three children, all under five years of age, and hide in a back room with a mattress pushed up against the door while her husband confronted the man that she said was becoming increasingly aggressive.

"I'd describe it, as a mother — your worst nightmare," the woman said.

"Being locked in your room with your three young children not knowing when someone's coming to help you.

"Not knowing what this person is doing to your husband.

"It's very terrifying and heartbreaking really."

The woman called triple zero expecting nearby Swan Hill police station to be dispatched.

But they never came.

Meanwhile, her husband kept asking when police would arrive.

"Where are they? [Swan Hill] police station is 15 minutes from here, where are they?" her husband said.

"This guy outside is getting pretty aggravated and very violent, he was throwing things on the house, throwing furniture at windows, and I'm just 'where are (the police)?'" he said.

After more than half an hour and several calls to police he said he was forced to give up on officers arriving, taking matters into his own hands.

"So I just went through my phone dialling anyone who'd answer," he said.

Eventually he got through to a neighbour who raced over.

"[When the neighbour arrived, the man] went at him with a steel bar that he found out in the garden and went to attack him," he said.

But he said the intruder then turned his anger towards the house.

"He smashed his way through a glass door with my BBQ, got inside, and between my neighbour and myself he was tackled to the ground and we tied him up and dragged him outside," the husband said.

New South Wales Police arrived and arrested the man more than an hour after they were first called.

The 28-year-old alleged intruder from Swan Hill has been charged with aggravated burglary, theft and theft of a motor car.

He has been remanded in custody to appear at the Swan Hill Magistrates Court on August 30.

Failure to respond exposes flaws in cross-border policing

The Nationals' Member for Mildura, Peter Crisp, has criticised Victoria Police over the incident.

"This is not acceptable," Mr Crisp said.

"Families should feel safe that the police can respond to their issues. They shouldn't have to take the law into their own hands."

He said the Murray River should not stop police from doing their job.

"However, it is a barrier between state jurisdictions that [police] are reluctant to cross without a lot of special arrangements," Mr Crisp said.

He said the incident highlighted the need for a Victorian cross-border commissioner.

Changes called for at Federal level

The Nationals' Federal Member for Mallee, Andrew Broad, said he would be taking up the matter with the Federal Minister for Law Enforcement, Angus Taylor.

"I'll be having a conversation with him about how, in instances like this, we can remove the cross-border anomalies so that police can [cross borders] and make families feel safe," he said.

The incident has left the Murray Downs family feeling unsafe in their own home. ( ABC Mildura-Swan Hill: Simon Galletta )

"I think it's a little bit of an isolated incident, but it's a case that shows that there's a problem that needs to be addressed."

Back at the family's home, the woman says the incident had changed her.

"I don't feel safe, I still feel terrified … and I worry about my kids and how it might affect them," she said.

"And I worry for our neighbours. They've got young kids and they feel unsafe now too.

"That's a horrible feeling, and it keeps me up at night wondering what would've happened if they didn't turn up.

"We're just trying to make a positive out of a something really bad and we just hope [by speaking out] we can make a difference."

Victoria Police have been contacted for comment.