Darwin shelter closes, and some sick residents are moved 100km away
The 400-bed YiSSA shelter closed today. The ABC understands the Batchelor site was still being set up.
The 400-bed YiSSA short-stay shelter in Darwin closed today. Residents must find other housing or move to Batchelor.
Batchelor is about 100 kilometres out of Darwin. A spokesperson for the residents says multiple medically vulnerable people are being moved there.
The Northern Territory government had said medically vulnerable people would not be moved to Batchelor. The government says the Batchelor site is in its 'final stage of commissioning'.
Questions remain about whether the site is ready for people to live in. Resident Tilathia Gore says she needs to be near medical services for her rheumatic heart disease.
A bus with fewer than 30 people on board broke down. Residents, including elderly people and babies, waited about 20 minutes in 30-degree heat for a replacement bus.
The ABC understands some other people with medical conditions have been given housing in Darwin. Opposition Leader Selena Uibo said the government had 'botched this whole operation'.
- 400 beds
- Capacity
- About 100 kilometres from Darwin
- Distance
- Fewer than 30 people on board
- Bus load
- About 20 minutes in 30-degree heat
- Wait
Why it mattersSome residents with serious illness say a site 100 kilometres from Darwin's hospital could put their care at risk.
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