Taxpayer’s foot $1.3m damage bill to house flood victims at Howard Springs, Northern Territory

Treasurer Bill Yan has revealed taxpayers stumped up a ‘staggering’ $12.7m to house flood evacuees at Howard Springs for two months last year.

Former Chief Minister Natasha Fyles tried to downplay $1.3m damage at Howard Springs as wear and tear. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin, Supplied

Treasurer Bill Yan has revealed taxpayers stumped up a “staggering” $1.3m for cleaning and repairs at Howard Springs after the facility was used to house flood evacuees last year.

That included $469,000 replacing windows, $277,000 for handyman services, $174,000 on plumbing, and $89,000 on mattresses.

With staffing and operational costs, security and overtime, the total bill reached $12.7m for the two month stay.

The detailed breakdown stands in contrast to figures provided at estimates last year, which revealed $197,000 had been spent on repairs and maintenance at the time, and $45,000 to fix 100 windows.

The cost will now be referred to the Public Accounts Committee for scrutiny.

Northern Territory Health Minister Steve Edgington and Treasurer Bill Yan. Picture: Fia Walsh.

Hundreds of Territorians from the Victoria Daly region were evacuated to the Howard Springs Accommodation Village for two months in March and April last year when communities including Kalkarindji, Pigeon Hole and Daguragu were hit by floods.

Rumours of damage at the facility were downplayed by then Chief Minister Natasha Fyles who initially said it was general “wear and tear”.

Mr Yan panned the wear and tear claim as “absolute garbage”.

“Half million dollars on glass – that’s just absolutely staggering,” he said.

“How can you say that half a million dollars on replacing windows is wear and tear – where, in anybody’s world, is that acceptable?

“$1.3m just on repairs and cleaning, that is an astounding figure. This is a figure that Labor never wanted to speak about, they never wanted to bring this to light.”

Mr Yan said the facility was intended to be used for emergencies, such as floods.

“But there has to be some probity and oversight, (Labor can’t) just to put people in there and not provide those services around them, to make sure that those facilities aren’t being wrecked and destroyed.”

More than $1m was spent on security at Howard Springs, alongside police patrols, an on-site domestic violence unit and Red Cross NT social services on site around the clock.

Hundreds of windows had been smashed and boarded up at the Howard Springs facility after it housed flood evacuees from Kalkarindji, Pigeon Hole and Daguragu. Picture: Supplied

The Howard Springs facility has since been handed over to the Australian Defence Force for housing.

Mr Yan said the government had other alternative emergency accommodation such as Foskey Pavilion, and was focused on options to keep people in their communities.

“At the end of the day, of course, the Territory Government has to provide those services to people who were victims of floods,” he said.

“But what we’re going to try and do where possible is keep people back on country, keep them close to home, and provide those necessary services for them closer to their home.

“We’re going to continue to do some work on cyclone shelters out in community so they have those safe places to go should we see cyclones hitting our coast again.”

Originally published as Taxpayer’s foot $1.3m damage bill to house flood victims at Howard Springs, Northern Territory