<
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/apr/29/evacuees-from-flooded-remote-indigenous-areas-in-nt-housed-in-compound-likened-to-a-prison-camp-ntwnfb>
"Hundreds of evacuees from remote Indigenous communities in the Northern
Territory have been housed behind temporary fences and denied visitors after
being forced to evacuate their homes in the most vicious wet season on record.
In March, the Daly River in the NT reached a record peak of 23.93 metres,
forcing families from Palumpa and Nauiyu to flee for the second time in four
weeks.
As the scale of the damage became clear, the NT government moved families from
an evacuation shelter in Darwin to student accommodation and temporary dongas
at the Batchelor Institute, about 100km south.
But many evacuees say it has felt like detention.
“What they’re doing to us, it’s like a prison camp,” said Nauiyu traditional
owner James Parry.
He said that at night guards shine their torches into the window of his room,
checking if people are sleeping.
“You don’t do that to people.”
Residents must sign in and out at a security gate, and vehicles and bags are
routinely searched.
“Women’s bags are checked by men when they come back from the shops,” he said.
“Every car that comes in and comes out, they stop and search … that’s not a
home.
“This is because we are Aboriginal people … I just want my freedom.”"
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
