Palumpa residents return home as flood recovery reaches major milestone

The first families have returned to Nganmarriyanga – also known as Palumpa – more than six weeks after devastating floods forced the evacuation of more than 260 residents from the remote Northern Territory community.

Northern Territory authorities confirmed that 29 residents were supported home in the first stage of a staged repatriation, with a further group of families continuing to return over the past week. The community, located 353 kilometres south-west of Darwin in the Daly River region, was inundated by major flooding in early March 2026 that damaged homes and critical infrastructure. About 210 people had been supported in temporary accommodation in Darwin and Batchelor.

Residents are returning only to homes that have been assessed, deep cleaned, safety-checked, and fitted with new bedding and essential household items. Food, water, and supplies are being delivered three times a week, and a temporary first-aid facility supported by onsite ambulance services has been set up. An Emergency Declaration remains in place, with access to the community restricted and managed through a coordinated return process.

Palumpa Elder Warren Wodidj returned home with his family in the first group.

It’s good to be back home I like to do everything at my Country. I miss all of it. I’m a stockman. I teach a couple of young fellas, too. It’ll be nice to get back to that – and to the quiet” Mr Wodidj said.

Northern Territory Department of Children and Families chief executive Brent Warren visited the community on Saturday alongside Northern Land Council chair Matt Ryan and Welfare Group staff.

“Being on the ground, meeting families who have already returned home, you can see just how much this means to community” Mr Warren said.

“Our Welfare Group is committed to working alongside the community to make sure people are safe, supported and ready as they return home.”

A temporary school is operating from Top Camp while the Nganmarriyanga School undergoes repairs. Northern Territory Department of Education and Training chief executive Susan Bowden said five experienced teachers had been deployed onsite to deliver a structured teaching and learning program.

“This modified program has been designed with a trauma-informed approach, recognising the experiences children and young people have had during the ongoing emergency” Ms Bowden said.

Nganmarriyanga has a population of about 427 people, with about 95 per cent identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. The primary language is Murrinh Patha. The community was founded by the Wodidj family, who established it after returning from Port Keats Mission – now Wadeye – following the Second World War.

The Northern Territory Government is working with the West Daly Regional Council and the Thamarrurr Development Corporation to support the recovery. Boil-water alerts remain in place for both Daly River and Palumpa, and disaster assistance has been extended to neighbouring local government areas. Residents still in Batchelor will continue to be supported until safe return is possible for all community members.

The flood event is one of several to hit remote and regional Australia in 2026, alongside cyclones in the Kimberley, Top End, Pilbara, and North Queensland.