Students in the remote community of Wadeye have been unable to attend school since Tuesday, after a riot between rival families broke out on the grounds, sending classrooms into lockdown.
Scott McIntyre, the chief executive of the local Thamarrurr Development Corporation, said a crowd armed with rocks was eventually dispersed by police, before a second fight broke out later in the day.
On Tuesday evening, a 29-year-old man was arrested by NT Police when they were called to a disturbance involving about 100 people wielding rocks and weapons.
The incident was the second time in three days police said they resorted to force, including the use of pepper spray, to disperse the crowd.
Another man was taken to the local clinic with a foot injury, police said.
The Australian Electorate Commission confirmed early voting in the community this week was not disrupted.
"We got through our full planned service offering from start to finish. Three-and-a-half days out there and good numbers were reported," an AEC spokesperson told the ABC.
Mr McIntyre said large fights have become a daily occurrence in Wadeye, where about 500 people have fled the community, south-west of Darwin, in recent weeks, after a man was killed and dozens of homes were destroyed — or severely damaged — by fire.
He said Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Thamarrurr Catholic School – which caters to students from preschool to year 12 – was likely to remain closed for the duration of the week, and teachers are now preparing for further disruptions.
Mr McIntyre said teachers were shifting "their focus from what would have been a pretty confronting situation for staff and students towards what can happen next week".
"They are looking at the processes they can put into place to take education out to the camps and homelands, and some of the places where people have been displaced," he said.
Chief Minister Natasha Fyles was expected to visit the community on Friday and in a statement NT Police said they were working with traditional owners to restore calm to the community.
Devastation in Wadeye reaches unprecedented level
Matthew Eastham, the chief executive of the West Daly Regional Council described the situation in Wadeye as "serious and unprecedented".
He said the council is calling for the urgent establishment of a high-level dedicated task force to address deep-rooted issues.
"Council staff, many of whom are Indigenous, are doing the very best they can in extremely difficult circumstances. Their exposure to social disruption, shaming, occupational violence, constant security fears and accumulative stress is of serious concern and is not sustainable," Mr Eastham said.
"Enough is enough. We all know these are complex and historical issues that can't be fixed overnight so let's work together to stop the violence now and protect our community into the future."
Overcrowded homes overflowing
As the government launches into the mammoth task of repairing the houses damaged during weeks of unrest, the homes left standing – already chronically overcrowded — are now swelling with occupants.
"Most of the people that have been displaced are unfortunately still around the community and living with friends and family and other houses," Mr McIntyre said.
He said that while the Northern Territory government had supplied and sourced donations to provide food, temporary shelter, medication and essential items, longer-term solutions were needed for people who had lost their homes.
It's estimated about 250 people are seeking refuge in homelands on the outskirts of Wadeye, and repairs to the damages homes could take months.
Mr McIntyre said residents were in desperate need of medium-term accommodation before the wet season sets in.
"That will have a large effect of diminishing the anxiety and the tension within Wadeye itself as people are back out on homelands away from the dense population area," he said.
"We've done the best we could in a really short time frame organising basic tents, basic cooking gear, and that sort of stuff.
Staff and services overwhelmed
After weeks of fighting Mr McIntyre said critical services have been brought to their knees as staff flee the community.
"Our organisations are at a tipping point," he said.
"In good times, there's not enough resources or people to deliver the services … situations like this just add so much stress and strain," he said.
"It can make it really difficult to focus on your day job, most of our [staff] would be lucky to remember what their day job is, because we're all sort of drawn into responding to the situation."
He said he was concerned the negative attention received due to the ongoing unrest could jeopardise the future of Wadeye and keep workers away.
