Community leaders in New South Wales say not enough is being done to support people whose homes have been lost during this year's unprecedented and ferocious bushfire season.

Key points: David West criticised what he says is a lack of government support for those who lost their homes

David West criticised what he says is a lack of government support for those who lost their homes The Office of Emergency Management says free counselling services have been provided, as well as financial assistance for uninsured and low-income households

The Office of Emergency Management says free counselling services have been provided, as well as financial assistance for uninsured and low-income households But affected residents say they are isolated and do not even have access to landline phones

At least 2.7 million hectares of NSW has been burnt, and more than 680 homes across the state have been destroyed.

Speaking on ABC's The Drum on Wednesday, Mid-Coast Council Mayor David West said people's lives remained in disarray a month on from the worst fire he had encountered in his council area.

"This country has been cremated," he said.

"We have close to a thousand people who can't wake up in the morning and go to the bathroom, nowhere to clean their teeth.

"They're refugees in their own community."

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Watch Duration: 1 minute 42 seconds 1 m 42 s David West says residents are 'going to feel this for years and years'.

Cr West said there had been plenty of assistance on the ground during the fires and in their immediate aftermath, but since then resources for those who lost their homes had been lacking.

"Services available from the state are very limited and have a limited time frame," he said.

"What happens after they're gone? Where's the counselling? It falls to the State Government and the Office of Emergency Management.

"You can't walk away from this six weeks after it happened."

A spokesperson from the Office of Emergency Management said it was providing free counselling services for people affected, assistance for uninsured and low-income households, and help with clean-up costs.

But Kim McDonald, vice-president of the Bobin Community Hall north-west of Taree, said despite power being restored quickly, people in her area were still isolated.

"Believe it or not, it's nearly five weeks later [and] we still don't have landlines," she said. "We have no mobile reception in Bobin."

'All we have is the charity of others'

Gwenda and Keith Duncan are two people who will not get to spend Christmas at home this year.

Their home was swallowed by a fire that tore through their small community of Rainbow Flat, 20 kilometres south of Taree, last month.

Gwenda and Keith Duncan say the scale of their loss is beginning to sink in. ( Supplied )

Ms Duncan went into town to escape the thick smoke, while Mr Duncan stayed behind to try to save the property.

"It must have just started from an ember," he said.

"… I was putting that out and then embers started appearing behind me, and as soon as they hit the ground they just exploded.

"I left and I remember the feeling of despair

"… I can't explain what it was like just to see everything burning … everything you were familiar with — it's all just gone."

He said it was impossible to get back to business as usual.

"Here there is no normal life," he said.

"There is only the debris that you see around you.

"All we have is the charity of others."

Flames consume Gwenda and Keith Duncan's Rainbow Flat home. ( Supplied )

The couple said the support of their community was the only thing keeping them going.

"A lady bought our groceries for us just because she overheard us talking," Mr Duncan said.

"A man has lent us his caravan so that we can live in it for now … we'd never met him until he dropped it off."

"We'll gradually get there," Ms Duncan said.

"It'll take a long time, and it definitely won't be what we had."