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The Indigenous Australians Minister has spoken in the Senate overnight about the closure of Darwin's largest short-stay accommodation and its re-location 100 kilometres out of the city. In the Northern Territory Parliament, the Minister responsible has defended the decision and confirmed just over 20 people have been relocated to the new site.

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00:02Claimed as a success by the Territory Government, its new transitional accommodation site at
00:08Batchelor, 100 kilometres away from Darwin, is sheltering 23 people.
00:14The lease ended and this government delivered a new facility, reviewed every resident, protected
00:20those with medical needs and made sure this service goes to the people who genuinely need
00:26it.
00:26Northern Territory Senator Mullendary McCarthy told the Senate overnight there are more
00:31questions than answers.
00:33Batchelor has limited policing and access to medical services, no public bus, a taxi to
00:40Darwin costs hundreds of dollars.
00:43And expressed concern for families she met at Yissa when news first broke in July about
00:49the closure of the city's largest short stay facility.
00:52I spoke to a grandmother who was the sole carer for her grandchildren.
00:57Her daughter, their mother, had died by suicide and she was left with nowhere to go.
01:03Another woman pointed to a deep scar on her forehead and said to me, a bad man did this to
01:09me.
01:10The Territory Government says there are low numbers at the Batchelor site because work was done to
01:15shift most residents into public housing, other transitional homes or back to remote communities.
01:21But questions remain about those unaccounted for on the streets and in overcrowded family homes.
01:28I will tell you where these people have had to go.
01:33They're sleeping rough on the streets of Darwin or in the long grass.
01:38They're sleeping rough on the streets of Palmerston or in the long grass.
01:43They've returned to partners that it's not safe for them to be with.
01:48The Government has not yet responded to questions about the supports being provided to women
01:53and children fleeing violence.
01:58The direct miles.
01:59You have been last overnight late late in the This wonderful world,
02:00such as people bar with the victims,
02:00who have been forbidden by me from other people at pearlостanburgate thousands of people.
02:00The我要 people serve half a year rather than white,
02:00The duas para-min到 riding would be in a pediatrician.

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