NT Chief Seeks ADF Flood Aid Amidst Central Australia’s Rain Threat

ADF Deploys to Northern Territory to Aid Flood Recovery

The Northern Territory government has formally requested assistance from the Australian Defence Force (ADF) to help manage the recovery efforts following the devastating and widespread flood disaster currently impacting the Top End. The move comes as harrowing footage emerges of the evacuated Nauiyu/Daly River community, where floodwaters have reached the roofs of homes.

Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro stated on Saturday that the Territory is still very much in the emergency response phase and has not yet transitioned to recovery mode. She indicated plans to travel to Canberra on Sunday to discuss the funding required for recovery operations, with the estimated damage bill potentially reaching tens of millions of dollars.

“This is still a very active response-phase event with multiple events happening at once, and we’re still not out of the woods yet,” Ms Finocchiaro explained. “Everyone immediately thinks we should bring in the military, and I understand why, as they are an absolute beacon of safety. However, we are required to meet several threshold tests before such a request can be made. We are eagerly awaiting confirmation from the federal government regarding potential ADF support during the recovery phase, keeping in mind that we are not yet in that phase.”

On Sunday, Federal Territories Minister Kristy McBain confirmed to ABC News that the request had been approved. Uniformed ADF personnel are expected to begin arriving in Katherine from Monday to assist with the clean-up.

“We have now secured additional ADF support for the Katherine region, specifically for clean-up operations. They will be tasked from tomorrow to assist across that region,” Minister McBain stated. “A number of members from the ADF Tindal base have already been proactively helping the community in their personal capacities, and this involvement will now be formalised through official ADF channels. They will be deployed to assist for the next 10 to 14 days, with their duration dependent on the needs of the clean-up process.”

In a further measure to bolster recovery efforts, Ms Finocchiaro announced that 14 prisoners, accompanied by corrections officers, will be deployed to Katherine to assist with the clean-up as floodwaters gradually recede.

Impact and Evacuations

The scale of the disaster is significant, with over 600 people still residing in evacuation centres across the Territory. The government has already disbursed more than $1.5 million in flood assistance payments to affected residents.

In the north-west of Katherine, the Nauiyu/Daly River community has been particularly hard-hit. Record river levels inundated the community, with floodwaters reaching an astonishing 16.38 metres at the police station by Saturday afternoon.

“Everyone from Daly River has been evacuated to Darwin and is safe here, but their homes are submerged,” Ms Finocchiaro reported. “There isn’t a single building in Daly River that is not under water, with many submerged up to their rooftops. This represents the highest river level ever recorded in Daly River’s history, and it is still rising, which means the recovery will take considerable time.”

Further inland, at Kalkarindji, the Victoria River was recorded at 6.22 metres and rising on Saturday. It was initially predicted to exceed the minor flood level of 9 metres overnight, before receding to 4.19 metres by Sunday. Critical supplies are being delivered to Kalkarindji after flooding on the Buntine Highway cut off access to the community.

Incident Controller Travis Wurst confirmed that residents of Jilkminggan have been cleared to return to their homes. However, he also noted that road access remains compromised, with the Salt Creek Bridge on the Roper Highway having “collapsed as a consequence of the flooding.”

Alice Springs Urged to Prepare, Not Panic

While the immediate focus of intense weather has shifted away from the Top End, the Bureau of Meteorology’s Jude Scott advised that an “active weather period right across the Northern Territory” persists. “We will still see isolated totals in excess of 100mm, but that’s likely to be focused in the south-western part of the Territory,” she commented.

An incident management team has been established in Alice Springs to proactively prepare for any potential issues in surrounding isolated communities. Although flash flooding is not forecast for Alice Springs itself, the Territory Emergency Operations Centre is closely monitoring the situation.

“As we are all aware, there has been significant rainfall across all districts, and central Australia is saturated,” stated NT Police Commander Sonia Kennon. “It will only take a small amount of water for rivers to flow and flash floods to occur.” Commander Kennon urged residents to “prepare, not panic,” particularly those in areas that have experienced recent flooding.

Sandbags were made available for collection from the Northern Territory Emergency Service Headquarters at 32 Wilkinson Street on Saturday and from 8 am on Sunday. Authorities later extended the pick-up point’s operating hours to 7 pm on Sunday. Residents with vehicles parked in underground car parks were advised to consider relocating them to higher ground.

Darwin River Dam Restored to Operation

The Darwin River Dam has returned to normal operations as of Saturday morning, with all four pumps now reconnected to the power supply. Earlier in the week, historic flash flooding at the pump station had disrupted Darwin’s main drinking water supply, leading to a boil water alert and a request for residents to conserve water.

Residents of Darwin River affected by the recent flooding can now apply for relief payments, with applications opening on Saturday. A makeshift donations centre has been established behind the local pub by residents Laurel Springate and Karen Percival.

“We’re locals, and you’ve got to come together in times like this, especially when you see friends and family going through what they’re going through,” Ms Percival said. “It’s pretty heartbreaking.”

What Ms Springate initially anticipated would be a small collection of donations has grown to fill over six tables. She noted that some individuals had travelled more than an hour to contribute. “Our most urgent need at the moment, as families begin their clean-ups, is for more storage tubs of various sizes,” Ms Springate added. “We are compiling a list of volunteers, so once we hear that people are ready for assistance, we can distribute that list.”