Residents in Worooma Crescent and Kanangra Road were flooded twice last year - in February and again in December.

A number of long-term residents blamed runoff from a new estate, which they said had not been mitigated by increased drainage.

Mark Thompson said he'd warned council about the problem in a March email, but hadn't got any commitment to resolve it - until he went to the media after he said they were again ignored in the aftermath of the second flood.

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He said the council had been embarrassed into taking a look at the alleged problem and that recent earthworks were an acknowledgement that there had been a issue all along.

"We shouldn't have to do that [go to the media]," he said.

"We all pay our rates here and expect a little bit of notice taken about what needs doing around the town."

Council Manager of Infrastructure and Works Murray Russell said drainage issues are more complicated than they appear.

"When staff were talking with nearby residents after another large storm hit Manilla last December, it raised concerns that some other unusual circumstances were contributing to the issue," he said.

"From our discussions, it was identified that water was being diverted from a nearby private property due to erosion, silt build up, vegetation growth, and long-term farming practices. This had resulted in large volumes of water being pushed away from where water would normally flow."

The property owner allowed council staff to work on his property to help resolve the situation.

"The build-up of vegetation has now been removed, and a number of small diversion banks have been installed to help make sure the water is pushed back towards its natural path," Mr Russell said.

Mr Thompson said if council had taken action last year they could have prevented an enormous amount of heartache.

Margaret Thompson, his wife of 50 years, died in January after a brief illness.

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He said she'd spent many of her last days concerned about the lack of action.

"She was distressed at the thought that the house would get flooded again, because council weren't attending to the job."

Resident Jodi North was flooded twice - first in February 2019 and then she was one of four to flood on December 21.

She said she's hopeful council earthworks will divert water away from her house, but is sceptical it will completely resolve the problem.

"My attitude to council is that it's disappointing that it takes for a person's house to be damaged to the extent that mine was, for me to have to contact the newspapers to put my face on the news on TV for something to be done about it. It's disappointing but not surprising," she said.

Tamworth Regional Council committed to investigate complaints by the residents in January, in response to questions by the Leader.

Mr Russell said the stormwater issue had also affected another property at the other end of Kanangra Road. Council staff installed an additional pipe on the eastern side of the road to reduce the potential for stormwater to overflow.

Drainage works were completed in two days.

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