Kalkarindji, Daguragu flood evacuees in $700k plea for survival after homes destroyed

Residents in flood-affected Top End communities say the impact of the major disaster will be felt by families, Elders and children for months, if not years to come.

Scenes of devastation in Kalkarindji and Daguragu where residents have been evacuated due to recent flooding. Picture: Chansey Paech/Facebook

Residents in Top End communities devastated by recent flooding are appealing for help to raise $700,000 to support hundreds of still-stranded evacuees.

The Gurindji Aboriginal Corporation is calling on “friends, families and supporters” to get behind the appeal, which aims to raise about $1000 for each of the 700 flood refugees.

“The very recent floods on Gurindji Country have devastated our Daguragu and Kalkaringi (Kalkarindji) communities,” the fundraiser’s website reads.

“The impacts of this major disaster will be felt by our people — our families, our Elders, our kids, everyone — for many months, if not years to come.

“With the evacuation of 700 people, there are many immediate and urgent needs to attend to, then, when the water recedes, the immensely heartbreaking work of cleaning up and rebuilding will begin.”

In a post to social media, Gwoja MLA Chansey Paech, who just returned from a trip to the inundated communities, said the reality of the damage was “devastating”.

“Trees that once lined the river banks have gone, foundations have been washed away from underneath houses, and homes are caked with thick mud,” he said.

“But there’s some light shining through the devastation. People are doing an amazing job to clean up and restore these communities.

“Thanks to everyone else who is out on the ground, working around the clock to fix this mess.”

Scenes of devastation in Kalkarindji and Daguragu where residents have been evacuated due to recent flooding. Picture: Chansey Paech/Facebook

Mr Paech promised the affected homes would be “cleaned and repaired” and “the chaos will be sorted and order will be restored”.

“We’ll get through this together,” he said.

“Things will get back to normal and your communities will be better and stronger than ever.

“We got this!”

On Tuesday, Infrastructure Minister Eva Lawler said she had sat down with Mr Paech after he returned to Darwin and “went through what he saw out there”.

“We’ve got some chief executives flying out there today,” she said.

“We’ll have information into the future around that but the information from Chansey was the houses out there have stood up very well, but there is a lot of work that will be needed to clean up those areas,” she said.

All money raised will be administered by the GAC, a registered charity, and go directly to flood-affected community members and families.

To donate visit https://www.freedomday.com.au/donate.