Danila Dilba Health Service urges the NT Government to immediately reverse its harmful decision to move YiSSA residents to Batchelor.
17 September 2026
Danila Dilba Health Service calls on the Northern Territory Government to come to the table and talk with Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations to foster a better solution for Aboriginal families as part of its commitment to Closing the Gap priority reforms.
Danila Dilba Health Service (DDHS) is deeply concerned by the Northern Territory Government’s announcement that the remaining residents of the YiSSA Short Stay Accommodation facility will be transitioned to accommodation in Batchelor. The Government has ignored calls to engage with Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs) and with the Commonwealth to resolve the YiSSA situation and has proceeded unilaterally to announce this approach.
It is obvious that relocating vulnerable families and individuals 100 kilometres from Darwin will create significant barriers to accessing the services and supports they rely on every day.
YiSSA, managed by Yilli Rreung Housing Aboriginal Corporation has long provided more than just accommodation. It has been a critical connection point to health care, housing support, legal assistance, education, family support services and other essential programs that help vulnerable Territorians remain safe, well and connected to their communities.
DDHS is particularly concerned about:
• Reduced access to primary health care and specialist medical services located in Darwin and Palmerston like dialysis or mental health. Batchelor has no Aboriginal health service, and the local NT government clinic would not have capacity to respond to the health needs of this vulnerable group;
• The burden of long-distance travel to attend medical appointments, support services and other essential activities;
• Disruption to children’s education and school attendance;
• Disconnection from family, community and support networks; and
• Probable poorer health and wellbeing outcomes resulting from reduced access to trusted, culturally safe support services.
For more than 5 years, DDHS has delivered outreach health and related services at YiSSA alongside other ACCOs. DDHS currently has 131 clients staying at YiSSA and has provided over 300 client contacts for this group in the last 12 months. Thirty-four families housed at YiSSA were involved in the Early Steps Together Program in the last financial year. Early Steps is a preventative service helping families address early concerns about family and domestic violence to make sure children and women remain safe and children can remain with family.
Relocating residents away from services they know and trust risks undermining years of collaborative work and will likely increase pressure on already stretched frontline services.
The Chair of Danila Dilba, Carol Stanislaus said “Vulnerable families and individuals deserve solutions that keep them connected to the services, schools, health care and support networks they need and trust. Moving people away from Darwin risks creating additional hardship for those who are already experiencing significant challenges.”
“Danila Dilba urges the Northern Territory Government to reverse this decision immediately and work collaboratively with the Commonwealth and Aboriginal sector partners to find a solution that supports better outcomes for vulnerable Territorians. We ask that they demonstrate genuine commitment to partnership and to Closing the Gap Priority Reforms including Priority Reform One, which commits governments to formal partnerships and shared decision-making with Aboriginal people, and Priority Reform Two, which seeks to build and strengthen the Aboriginal Community Controlled Sector.”
Ms Stanislaus also stated “The situation is exacerbated by the selection of a non-Aboriginal organisation to manage the facility, without any discussion or tender, despite the availability of Aboriginal controlled organisations with demonstrated competency and capacity in supporting our most vulnerable Territorians. This raises serious questions about the Government’s commitment to genuine partnership, the principles of self-determination and the Closing the Gap Agreement.”
More information: Governance Manager & Company Secretary Alex Gibson – alexandra.gibson@ddhs.org.au or 0475 935 521.
