Dozens of people from the remote Northern Territory community of Wadeye have been arrested in a single day, following months of unrest which has left more than 500 people displaced.
At least 35 homes in Wadeye have been destroyed and more than 100 damaged during fighting between rival families, which escalated in April following the death of a man who suffered severe head injuries during an alleged altercation.
Hundreds of people have fled the community, about 420 kilometres south of Darwin, with many sleeping rough in Darwin and nearby Palmerston.
Superintendent Kirk Pennuto said 25 people were arrested on Tuesday, with 10 remanded to appear in Darwin Local Court over what he labelled "riotous behaviour".
"We have been systematically removing the instigators of violence for the past two months," Superintendent Kirk Pennuto said.
Taskforce set up to support displaced residents
A major aid effort was launched in May, with the local council putting together emergency food packs and bringing in generators, tents and sleeping bags.
Aboriginal Affairs Minister Selena Uibo said a taskforce had now been established to support the estimated 545 people who have been displaced because of the unrest.
"The taskforce has been set up to identify the immediate needs for community members and Territorians who have been displaced," she said.
"[It will] identify what needs to be done in terms of access to ablutions, hygiene, food security in that region."
A Northern Territory Government spokesperson said 125 homes in Wadeye had been damaged since March, with staged works underway to repair damaged properties.
"Sixty-two houses have received partial repairs, which includes doors, door locks, and immediate electrical and plumbing works," the spokesperson said.
"The staged approach to repairing the houses takes into account the extent of damage, whether the house is occupied or not, and planning for displaced families to return to their houses when they feel safe."
Ms Uibo said the total cost of the damage was still unknown.
"The costings around the damage to any homes are still being calculated, and also the work around returning people should they choose to."
"There's also a longer-term process of being able to identify if people don't feel safe to return to their community, how do we go about supporting them?"
Local leaders and traditional owners have previously expressed their sadness by the conflict between youth.
They say a long history of policy failures, unemployment, overcrowding and ineffective rehabilitation services have contributed to decades of disputes between family groups.
