Six months after historic floods, Nauiyu still grapples with broken infrastructure and no services

At the end of a dusty road on the Daly River, Nauiyu shows the lasting impact of February-March floods that displaced its people. Homeowners report water that rose fifteen steps, destroyed furniture and left many families without any possessions. Critical infrastructure is still broken: power outages persist, the aged-care centre contains asbestos, and a boil-water alert forces residents to rely on bottled water delivered to the general store.

The Merrepen Arts Centre, a major employer of over 40 artists, has been without electricity for months, yet still receives fixed utility charges. Although the Northern Territory pledged a $100 million flood-recovery fund, only $12.5 million has been used and just $500,000 allocated to relocate the town. Local officials and Indigenous leaders are urging the government to tap the Commonwealth Disaster Relief Fund and secure further funding before the next wet season.