Fiona Dhawunymurruwuy will be evicted on Sunday, along with 120 other First Nations people: ‘There’s no place for me’
News Source
•Fri, 09 Oct 2026 14:00:29 GMT
📰 What Happened
About 120 First Nations residents of a Darwin housing complex will be evicted on Sunday. The Yilli short-stay accommodation, known as YiSSA, is closing. The Northern Territory government failed to renew its lease. It also turned down $6.5m from the federal government to buy the buildings.
One resident, Fiona Dhawunymurruwuy, recently had her leg amputated and now faces being homeless. She says there is 'no place for me'. The remaining residents will be moved 100km away to the town of Batchelor.
🔍 The Backstory
YiSSA houses mainly Aboriginal people who travel from remote communities for medical care. Many come from places far from any hospital. Being near treatment is often a matter of life and death. The federal minister for Indigenous Australians, Malarndirri McCarthy, called the closure a 'deeply sad day'. The NT said keeping it open was a waste of taxpayers' money.
🎯 Why It Matters
People getting medical care need a safe place to stay. Closing this housing could leave very sick people with nowhere to go.
About 120 First Nations residents of a Darwin housing complex will be evicted on Sunday. The Yilli short-stay accommodation, known as YiSSA, is closing. The Northern Territory government failed to renew its lease. It also turned down $6.5m from the federal government to buy the buildings.
One resident, Fiona Dhawunymurruwuy, recently had her leg amputated and now faces being homeless. She says there is 'no place for me'. The remaining residents will be moved 100km away to the town of Batchelor.
YiSSA houses mainly Aboriginal people who travel from remote communities for medical care. Many come from places far from any hospital. Being near treatment is often a matter of life and death. The federal minister for Indigenous Australians, Malarndirri McCarthy, called the closure a 'deeply sad day'. The NT said keeping it open was a waste of taxpayers' money.
People getting medical care need a safe place to stay. Closing this housing could leave very sick people with nowhere to go.