The Northern Territory Government "ignored calls to engage with Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations" when it decided to move vulnerable people from Darwin's largest homeless shelter to a new transitional accommodation facility 100km away.
The comments from Danila Dilba Health Service (DDHS) come after the NT Government announced the establishment of the Northern Territory Respite and Recovery Facility in Batchelor, next to the Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education on Wednesday.
The site will house many of those currently at the YiSSA Short-Stay Accommodation site on Batten Road, whose future fell into limbo in July after the government gave Yilli Rreung Housing Aboriginal Corporation 90 days to vacate the facility after failing to agree on a price for the property.
Up to 150 people will move to the facility in Batchelor, with others to be transitioned into alternative accommodation ahead of YiSSA's closure on October 11, the government says.
DDHS said it was "deeply concerned" by the decision to move YiSSA's residents away from vital infrastructure.
"Vulnerable families and individuals deserve solutions that keep them connected to the services, schools, health care and support networks they need and trust," DDHS Chair Carol Stanislaus said. "Moving people away from Darwin risks creating additional hardship for those who are already experiencing significant challenges."
YiSSA has been a critical connection point to health care, housing support, legal assistance and education, DDHS argued, which helps "vulnerable Territorians remain safe, well and connected to their communities".
In a joint statement, the Aboriginal Housing Northern Territory (AHNT), the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency (NAAJA) and the North Australian Aboriginal Family Legal Service (NAAFLS) slammed the government's decision, arguing they remain "deeply troubled by the continued lack of any discussion or consultation with the Aboriginal community-controlled sector".
Since 2020, they said Yilli has "successfully delivered its contracted responsibilities at YiSSA, providing tenancy and property management together with reception, cleaning, catering, security, repairs and maintenance.
The ACCO was not contracted nor responsible for securing long-term housing, nor for transitioning residents into alternative accommodation, they said.
"Any suggestion that residents remained at YiSSA because Yilli failed to deliver housing outcomes therefore misrepresents both Yilli's role and the service model established for the facility," the organisations argued in a statement.
"Throughout its involvement, Yilli has provided safe, culturally appropriate accommodation through an Aboriginal community-controlled model, supported by clients and a broad range of Aboriginal, homelessness and community-sector stakeholders."
The health service currently has 131 clients at YiSSA and has delivered outreach programs, alongside other ACCOs, at the facility for five years.
The move would reduce access to essential health and support services, with Batchelor lacking an Aboriginal health service and the local NT Government clinic unable to meet the needs of vulnerable residents, DDHS said.
The organisation also raised concerns about longer travel times for medical appointments, families being separated from community networks and reduced access to culturally safe services.
Serious questions about CLP's commitment to genuine partnership
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NT Children and Families Minister Robyn Cahill told reporters this week there are a "number of other people who have been on the housing list for quite some time but the work hadn't been done to progress that".
"We've been able to actually get people on the housing list, into appropriate housing accommodation, we've got around 30 people who we've relocated back to their [traditional] country, which is fantastic," she said, as reported by the ABC.
"We've got support from other community service providers who have a better arrangement for some of the people who need additional support in that facility and the we are left with around about 100 people that we're still working with to see what their long-term prospect will be."
In response, Ms Stanislaus said: "The situation is exacerbated by the selection of a non-Aboriginal organisation to manage the facility, without any discussion or tender, despite the availability of Aboriginal-controlled organisations with demonstrated competency and capacity in supporting our most vulnerable Territorians."
"This raises serious questions about the Government's commitment to genuine partnership, the principles of self-determination and the Closing the Gap Agreement," she added.
She called for the CLP to reverse the decision "immediately" and for the government to "work collaboratively with the Commonwealth and Aboriginal sector partners to find a solution that supports better outcomes for vulnerable Territorians".
NAAJA, AHNT and NAAFLS agreed, calling on the government to "urgently convene a public forum to provide clarity and detail on their strategy, planning and costs, to listen to the concerns held by Territorians and respond to the people directly impacted by this decision".
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The Northern Territory has the highest rate of homelessness in the country, at almost 12 times the national average. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people account for 87 per cent of the Territory's homeless population.
The current YiSSA site sits on Crown land; however, the demountables are owned by Ausco. The Commonwealth previously said it would pay half the cost of the demountables, around $3.5 million, with the NT Government contributing the rest.
However, the CLP shut this down, with Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro arguing that retaining the facility at its current location would be a "waste" of taxpayers' money.
Ms Cahill previously said the Commonwealth's joint-funding offer was made "with all these caveats".
One of the Commonwealth's caveats for the joint-funding proposal, Minister for Indigenous Australians Malarndirri McCarthy revealed, was allowing YiSSA to continue operating in its current form and a minimum five-year commitment for Yilli Rreung Housing Aboriginal Corporation to continue delivering services at the Batten Road site.
The government has previously been accused of disrespecting Aboriginal organisations, with Labor leader Selena Uibo arguing this month that the CLP government "do not care about remote communities and they do not care about Aboriginal Territorians".
