NT flood evacuees take shelter in Howard Springs ahead of month-long recovery
Flood-impacted residents from Daguragu, Pigeon Hole, Kalkaringi and Palumpa could remain in Howard Springs for at least a month. Here’s how the major recovery effort is unfolding.
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About 500 Territorians taking shelter at Howard Springs are likely to remain there for at least a month, with damage to their homes and communities still being assessed.
Kalkaringi, Daguragu, Pigeon Hole and Palumpa residents have been told to settle into their temporary Top End homes for at least the next four weeks after being evacuated from floods not seen in the Victoria River region for about two decades.
One Kalkaringi resident said the floods were worse than what the community faced in 2001.
However NT Police Commissioner Jamie Chalker said that community was the least impacted of the four.
“Kalkaringi is a little bit more of a positive story for us – about 40 per cent of the housing has been impacted,” he said.
“What we need to ascertain now is that the water quality is appropriate and work through ensuring the road is accessible.
“Pigeon Hole and Daguragu in particular have suffered very significant inundation to the housing infrastructure.
“Most, if not all (homes) have been seriously impacted.
“We’re trying to work out some time frames as to when people may be repatriated but we expect that could be at least four weeks if not even longer.”
Mr Chalker said some community residents would briefly return to Kalkaringi with assessment teams on Wednesday so they could see the damage first-hand, while other evacuees had been shown photos of the destruction.
He said the total damage bill, while still unknown, would “undoubtedly be quite significant”.
Nearly $2.8m of Territory money has already been spent on the response and recovery effort, with evacuees being provided $1400 per family or $560 per adult over two payments.
Chief Minister Natasha Fyles said there would be more support provided as the recovery continues.
“People are receiving a card that allows them to go and purchase essential personal items,” she said.
“Some of these people literally have the T-shirt and shorts they were wearing.
“We have provided them with clothing and supplies here at the Centre for National Resilience, but allowing them to go to the shops and make some new purchases knowing most of their belongings back in community have been destroyed, is really important.”
Ms Fyles also said 75 children had left Howard Springs for the day to attend school.
“They’re attending three local Darwin schools and their teachers from community are attending with them,” she said.
“We know in these situations of natural disasters it’s really important to have normal activities, so getting kids to school to give families a break.
“The Northern Territory is well positioned, we are used to dealing with natural disasters, we are used to dealing with isolation.”
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