150 homeless residents moved 100km from Darwin in October
Up to 150 people will move from Darwin's Batten Road shelter in Marrara to Batchelor after lease negotiations failed.
The Northern Territory government is closing the Batten Road homeless shelter in Marrara on October 11. Up to 150 people will move to a new facility in Batchelor, 100 kilometres away.
The move follows failed talks with the site's owner, AusCo. The Commonwealth tried to help by offering $3.5 million but that did not work.
Children and Families Minister Robyn Cahill said the new facility would be ready by the deadline. Residents say the distance will cut off their access to jobs and city services.
Some face extra barriers. One resident, a university lecturer, says vulnerable people will struggle.
Dialysis patients, for example, will face a remote location. The government says it has already moved roughly 380 people into other housing.
Thirty were moved back to their traditional country.
- Up to 150
- People moving
- 100 kilometres
- Distance to Batchelor
- October 11
- Closure date
- $3.5 million
- Commonwealth offer
Why it mattersVulnerable people lose access to city services, jobs and medical care. This raises questions about whether moving people to remote areas is the right answer.
AustraliaUp to 150 homeless Australians in Darwin will face a move that makes city jobs and services much harder to reach.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 8 d ago
