Efforts are underway to ensure displaced residents who fled violence in the remote community of Wadeye can have their say in Saturday’s election, with electoral teams travelling to makeshift camps and homelands for early voting.
About 500 people have fled the community, south-west of Darwin, in recent weeks, where fighting between rival families has left one man dead and dozens of homes destroyed — or severely damaged — by fire.
A remote voting team arrived in Wadeye on Sunday afternoon for pre-polling, the same day local police were called to a disturbance at an oval, involving about 300 people.
Officers used pepper spray to disperse the crowd, as rocks were thrown at police cars and "various blunt and edged weapons" were used in the fighting, NT Police said.
Wadeye police sergeant Bradley Fox said the community had been "relatively calm" prior to Sunday's incident.
"This appears to be an isolated flare-up, but tensions do remain quite heightened," he said.
The voting team's visit was delayed by a week, on the advice of the local Aboriginal organisation, Thamarrurr Development Corporation.
However, the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) said while the circumstances were not “typical or easy”, it wanted to ensure everyone had access to voting.
“We're committed to the vote and access to voting in remote Indigenous communities. The efforts in Wadeye are just one example of that commitment,” it said in a statement.
Typically, only two mobile voting centres would be set up in Wadeye at election time, however this year, eight will be in the community, to ensure residents can vote in a location they feel safe, an AEC spokesperson told the ABC.
Higher voter turnout expected, despite unrest
Scott McIntyre, the chief executive of the local Thamarrurr Development Corporation, said voting teams on Tuesday visited Manthape, a homeland on the fringe of Wadeye, where a number of displaced people are living in makeshift tents.
Manthape is just one of the homelands the AEC is setting up ballot boxes, as remote teams collect votes.
Residents will also be able to participate in the election from Fossil Head, the Thamarrurr Aged Care Facility, Kurantiga, Nhilinh, and the Creek Camp side Main Oval.
Despite recent tensions, Mr McIntyre said he expected a significantly higher voter turnout compared to previous elections.
"We worked with the AEC last week on adjusting their polling schedule in response to what was going on, on the ground," he said.
"We worked with traditional owners in a number of locations, to provide advice back to the AEC ... there has certainly been no security issues for the staff or people that we are aware of."
Northern Territory Senator Malarndirri McCarthy, who visited Wadeye earlier in the month, said while it was imperative barriers to political participation were brought down, safety had to remain the main priority.
'Help our people in a sensible way'
The Northern Territory government has been working to ensure displaced residents have access to food, accommodation and essential supplies.
Chief Minister Natasha Fyles said the government has "supplied and sourced donations to provide food, temporary shelter, medication and essential items".
"Distributions have been made to community members following a needs assessment framework, coordinated on the ground by [government] staff," she said.
A regional traditional owner, who wanted to remain anonymous. said years of broken promises and chronic overcrowding in ageing homes were at the root of the unrest.
"We are tired of people coming to visit and tell us they are listening, but they are not listening, and nothing changes," they said.
"A lot of money has poured into Wadeye, but what has changed? Give us the money, to us Kardu (people) then you and us work together to make plans where we want that money to be spent in the way that will help our people in a sensible way.
