Northern Territory police are evacuating vulnerable Indigenous residents from a remote community amid an ongoing violent feud between rival families.

April 27, 2022

Police are evacuating vulnerable Indigenous Northern Territorians from a remote community amid an ongoing violent feud between rival families.

Tensions in Wadeye, 400km southwest of Darwin, escalated in late March and have continued since a 32-year-old man died last week from injuries sustained in a brawl.

Vehicles have been set alight and 37 homes have been extensively damaged, displacing hundreds of residents across the region.

“Police have responded to numerous instances of violence within the community recently,” police superintendent Bradley Fox said on Wednesday.

“It is believed historical tensions between local families are the cause of the unrest.”

A video published on social media and confirmed to be of unrest in Wadeye shows more than a dozen people smashing the windows and walls of a building during the night as onlookers yell and scream.

Territory Families and Urban Housing Minister Kate Worden said the destruction of homes was extremely disappointing.

“Not just for us as the asset managers but also for the community,” she said.

“It’s really devastating for the families that are in those homes.”

An estimated 10 people live in each home in remote NT communities, meaning more than 350 people could now be homeless.

Minister for Territory Development Eva Lawler said historic issues were behind the violence.

“The large number of different language groups, a large number of clans were brought together into that community and there is conflict,” she said.

Police are working to move at-risk community members out of the area and mediate a settlement with Elders to bring the unrest to an end.

Wadeye resident Ezekiel Narndu, 18, was charged with manslaughter last Wednesday over the man’s death.

His alleged victim sustained serious head injuries in a fight on April 16 and later died in Royal Darwin Hospital, triggering more violence.

Two other men were also injured.

Narndu has since appeared in the Darwin Local Court and his case was adjourned to Thursday when the teen is likely to apply for bail.

Wadeye is one of the largest indigenous communities in the NT with a population of about 3000 people.