Aged Care Residents Sheltered on Basketball Court Amid Floods

Frail aged care residents, predominantly First Nations people living with cognitive impairments, faced substandard conditions during an evacuation in Katherine due to ex-Tropical Cyclone Narelle. Many were housed in an open-sided basketball court at MacFarlane primary school, with makeshift sleeping arrangements and rain exposure. Nursing staff reported improved preparedness from a prior evacuation but still described the environment as "suboptimal" and distressing for residents requiring high levels of care.

The NT public guardian's office, responsible for many evacuees, was not informed about the shelter conditions. The guardian stated that vulnerable individuals with memory issues would have been "very frightened." The NT government confirmed targeted evacuations for vulnerable groups, prioritizing rapid and safe relocation, while police justified the use of paddy wagons for timely conveyance of non-vulnerable individuals.

This event follows other criticisms of the NT government's emergency response, including incidents in Palumpa and Jilkminggan where residents faced similar challenges. Concerns have been raised about the relocation plans for some evacuees to Batchelor Institute, with proposals for culturally inappropriate arrangements and lack of basic facilities, echoing broader systemic failures in supporting Aboriginal communities during disasters.