{"id":17073,"date":"2026-05-23T11:25:55","date_gmt":"2026-05-23T11:25:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/17073\/"},"modified":"2026-05-23T11:25:55","modified_gmt":"2026-05-23T11:25:55","slug":"some-of-australias-most-isolated-residents-live-with-black-mould-and-broken-toilets-in-government-housing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/17073\/","title":{"rendered":"Some of Australia’s most isolated residents live with black mould and broken toilets in government housing"},"content":{"rendered":"

Inside one of Australia’s most isolated communities, bug infestations, walls covered in black mould and broken toilets are just some of the issues plaguing residents’ homes.<\/p>\n

When Matilda Djanghara and her two granddaughters need to use the toilet, they’re forced to walk down the road.<\/p>\n

“I take them to my brother’s house, but it’s so far,” she says.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Kalumburu resident Matilda Djanghara has to walk down the road to use the toilet. (ABC Kimberley: Giulia Bertoglio)<\/p>\n

She says her toilet hasn’t worked for weeks.<\/p>\n

A towel sits over the drain on her bathroom floor, soaking up water that gushes out if it’s flushed.<\/p>\n

The plumbing issue means the bathroom and kitchen sinks also pool with water.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Matilda Djanghara has to soak up water that gushes out of the drain on her bathroom floor. (ABC Kimberley: Giulia Bertoglio)<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Cupboards and window flyscreens are broken. (ABC Kimberley: Giulia Bertoglio)<\/p>\n

She’s one of about 300 people who live in Kalumburu, Western Australia’s most northern community.<\/p>\n

It was more than 30 degrees and 80 per cent humidity when the ABC visited last month, with Matilda’s home offering no reprieve.<\/p>\n

She points to an air conditioning unit coated in black dust, saying it has been broken for months.<\/p>\n

\"a<\/p>\n

Matilda Djanghara says the flyscreen doesn’t unlock, leaving her worried about the safety of her granddaughters. (ABC Kimberley: Dunja Karagic)<\/p>\n

On her porch, Matilda points to a window, the flyscreen coming up with a pull.<\/p>\n

“This window doesn’t even shut. There’s no safety,” she says.<\/p>\n

Matilda worries about her granddaughters’ health and safety.<\/p>\n

Like most houses in Kalumburu, Matilda’s is owned by the WA government through the Department of Housing, meaning she can’t do the repairs herself.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/p>\n

Matilda Djanghara is worried for the safety of her daughters. (ABC Kimberley: Giulia Bertoglio)<\/p>\n

Instead, she must wait for a government contractor to repair any issues.<\/p>\n

But getting to Kalumburu isn’t easy.<\/p>\n

It is only accessible by air for half the year due to flooding, with flights every third day.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Kalumburu is the most northern community in Western Australia. (ABC News)<\/p>\n

Despite the issues, Matilda pays rent to live here.<\/p>\n

“How are we paying rent when nothing is fixed?” she says.<\/p>\n

No hot water<\/p>\n

Next door, Kieran Karadada also walks to a relative’s house to use the toilet.<\/p>\n

When he flushes the toilet or uses the kitchen sink, water floods his floors.<\/p>\n

Stagnant brown water sits pooled in the bathroom sink, unable to drain.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Keiran Karadada’s blocked bathroom sink does not drain. (ABC Kimberley: Giulia Bertoglio)<\/p>\n

“I pay rent and I can’t use the toilet,” Kieran says.<\/p>\n

To make a cup of tea, he walks to the backyard to fill the kettle from an outdoor tap.<\/p>\n

He says he has no hot water, making showering in the colder months difficult.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/p>\n

Kieran Karadada says waiting for the department to fix his house is a “headache”. (ABC Kimberley: Giulia Bertoglio)<\/p>\n

He says his living situation has been like this for years, but no-one from the Department has visited his home.<\/p>\n

“It’s a headache waiting for them,” he says.<\/p>\n

Rotten floors<\/p>\n

Elder Dorothy Djanghara watches her step as she walks on her porch.<\/p>\n

The wood has rotted away in multiple places from the heavy rain, leaving jagged holes where floorboards used to be.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Every time it rains at Dorothy’s house, the timber deck gets softer and more dangerous. (ABC Kimberley: Giulia Bertoglio)<\/p>\n

“Every time the rain comes, it makes the timber soft,” she says.<\/p>\n

She says her daughter had once fallen “straight through the timber”.<\/p>\n

The only other way into Dorothy’s home is through the back steps, but she says this is even riskier.<\/p>\n

Makeshift metal and stone steps balance on two bricks, which wobble beneath her feet.<\/p>\n

\"a<\/p>\n

There is no safe entry into Dorothy Djanghara’s house. (ABC Kimberley: Dunja Karagic)<\/p>\n

“The stairs are not safe because of the injuries in my knees,” she says.<\/p>\n

“I’m so scared of coming up or going down.<\/p>\n

Dorothy says it’s been this way for over three years.<\/p>\n

“[The Department] only take photos, they never did anything.”<\/p>\n

With children often visiting, she’s worried someone might “hurt themselves or break their leg”.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/p>\n

Elder Dorothy Djanghara is scared every time she has to leave the house because of her rotten decking. (ABC Kimberley: Giulia Bertoglio)<\/p>\n

“We are paying so much money to rent and living in a house like this where there is no help,” she says.<\/p>\n

Beyond repair<\/p>\n

Multiple residents tell the ABC to visit the house with the paperbark tree.<\/p>\n

They say it’s the “worst” in the community in terms of disrepair.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Kalumburu residents say the “paperbark tree” house is the worst for damage. (ABC Kimberley: Giulia Bertoglio)<\/p>\n

Inside, elder Bernadette Waina sits on a couch beside family members seated on a mattress on the floor.<\/p>\n

Multiple family members yell at once, pointing to a myriad of issues.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/p>\n

Bernadette Waina says her front door doesn’t close properly, leaving enough room for snakes and toads to venture inside. (ABC Kimberley: Giulia Bertogio)<\/p>\n

Bernadette walks to her front door, closing a flyscreen that leaves a gap about 10cm wide.<\/p>\n

“Snakes and cane toads come in through here,” she says.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/p>\n

Bernadette Waina shows how big the gap is when she tries to close her door. (ABC Kimberley: Giulia Bertoglio)<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Bernadette Waina doesn’t feel safe in her home because her front door cannot close properly. (ABC Kimberley: Giulia Bertoglio)<\/p>\n

Stepping outside, the floor is uneven and makeshift installations hold together an air-conditioning unit.<\/p>\n

Despite the intense heat in Kalumburu, air conditioning is not a standard inclusion in public housing, meaning many households have made ad hoc installations.<\/p>\n

\"uneven<\/p>\n

Outside Bernadette Waina’s house, the floor is uneven and makeshift installations hold up her air-conditioning unit.\u00a0 (ABC Kimberley: Dunja Karagic\u00a0)<\/p>\n

While the ABC visits, a worker approaches Bernadette’s front door.<\/p>\n

“It’s the housing mob,” her son yells out.<\/p>\n

A worker’s hand comes through the flyscreen and replaces a small fan switch dial.<\/p>\n

He doesn’t step inside, and says he has 30 jobs on his list but this is his only one for Bernadette’s house.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A Department of Housing worker comes to Bernadette’s house to fix the fan switch, but nothing else. (ABC Kimberley: Giulia Bertoglio)<\/p>\n

When the ABC asks why he doesn’t stay longer to complete more repairs, he says plane capacity is limited and Kalumburu is “not a great place to stay”.<\/p>\n

Bernadette shakes her head in anger, saying the Department often sends maintenance workers for “a couple of hours”, meaning critical jobs are left unfinished.<\/p>\n

“How much is the government spending on a charter plane?” she says.<\/p>\n

“They do things in a hurry, and we still got problems.”<\/p>\n

The Department of Housing and Works did not respond to questions on how much it spends to charter a plane to Kalumburu.<\/p>\n

\"Two<\/p>\n

Bernadette Waina and her daughter, Natasha Waina. (ABC Kimberley: Giulia Bertoglio)<\/p>\n

Bernadette doesn’t hold back, saying the process has her feeling “pissed off”.<\/p>\n

“It’s not right. They live in luxury, in good homes. We might as well go live in a cave,” she says.<\/p>\n

Bug infestation<\/p>\n

Bernadette walks the ABC to her daughter Natasha Waina’s house.<\/p>\n

\"Two<\/p>\n

Bernadette and Natasha Waina walk down a semi-flooded road in Kalumburu. (ABC Kimberley: Giulia Bertoglio)<\/p>\n

Inside, the kitchen sink has food sitting in stagnant water.<\/p>\n

“I had it [like this] for two years, it’s been blocked,” Natasha says.<\/p>\n

She says she told the Department, but workers only came for a couple of hours and hadn’t fixed it properly.<\/p>\n

“I used it again and it blocked,” she says.<\/p>\n

\"water<\/p>\n

Natasha Waina says she has to walk to the outside tap to make a tea.\u00a0 (ABC Kimberley: Dunja Karagic)<\/p>\n

Natasha walks to the laundry sink or outside tap whenever she needs water.<\/p>\n

Black mould coats the doors, walls and the floor inside her bathroom.<\/p>\n

\"a<\/p>\n

Black mould coats the walls and floors of Natasha Waina’s home. (ABC Kimberley: Dunja Karagic)<\/p>\n

An empty air conditioning wall cavity is stuffed with clothing and furniture, in an attempt to keep bugs out.<\/p>\n

Inside, pests cover the walls, coating the faces of religious statues.<\/p>\n

Broken locks<\/p>\n

Inside Charmaine Djanghara’s house, a deep freezer is pulled against her entry door.<\/p>\n

Charmaine says she uses it as a safety mechanism, because her front door and flyscreen haven’t locked since last year.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/p>\n

Charmaine Djanghara moves a deep freezer in front of the door to make her home safe. (ABC Kimberley: Giulia Bertoglio)<\/p>\n

“I keep reporting and reporting and nothing is done,” she said.<\/p>\n

The single parent of three says she worries about the safety of her children, saying they haven’t had hot water for at least three years.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/p>\n

Charmaine Djanghara says her home has not had hot water for three years. (ABC Kimberley: Giulia Bertoglio)<\/p>\n

“I just want to keep them safe and live in a better home,” Charmaine says.<\/p>\n

“I am losing hope.”<\/p>\n

Falling through the cracks<\/p>\n

Tenants must report maintenance issues with the department by phone.<\/p>\n

But in Kalumburu, phone and internet reception often cuts out.<\/p>\n

For many residents, English is not their first language and some cannot read or write.<\/p>\n

People say reports have fallen through the cracks, with some blaming the current Kalumburu Aboriginal Corporation (KAC) or previous leadership.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Kalumburu residents have been calling on the Department of Housing to do more frequent inspections. (ABC Giulia Bertoglio)<\/p>\n

Despite this, residents have called on the department to do more frequent inspections.<\/p>\n

According to the department’s policy, it must conduct up to four inspections each year to identify maintenance issues and arrange required repairs.<\/p>\n

KAC chief executive Kim Holm says this hasn’t been happening.<\/p>\n

“If they were here six-monthly or 12-monthly \u2026 people would have that opportunity [to raise issues],” she says.<\/p>\n

Having worked in remote locations around the country, Kim says nothing compares to Kalumburu.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Kim Holm says some of the government-owned homes are in dismal condition. (ABC Kimberley: Giulia Bertoglio)<\/p>\n

“This is the absolute worst I have seen,” she says.<\/p>\n

“It’s just dismal.”<\/p>\n

“[The department] \u2026 have not respected the human beings living here and I’m really disappointed.”<\/p>\n

Kim would like to see a different approach.<\/p>\n

“When they come, they fix one or two minor things, they don’t look at the bigger picture,” she says.<\/p>\n

“Rather than flying someone in for a day, fly someone in for a week, get the jobs done and fly them out again.”<\/p>\n

Late last year, Aboriginal Community Housing Limited, which manages inspections in Kalumburu on behalf of the department, visited most houses in the community to document issues.<\/p>\n

While Kim says she received confirmation the report had been submitted to the department, “nothing has happened since”.<\/p>\n

“We’re still sitting here waiting with derelict houses and people living in absolutely poor conditions,” she says.<\/p>\n

In a statement, a spokesperson for the Department of Housing and Works said it endeavoured to respond to all maintenance requests in “a timely manner”.<\/p>\n

“However factors such as extreme weather events, remoteness and an inability to access tenancies may cause delays,” the spokesperson said.<\/p>\n

“Road access to Kalumburu has been significantly restricted due to serious cyclone activity, however DHW actively works to clear any maintenance backlogs.<\/p>\n

“DHW has been working to address maintenance concerns in Kalumburu, and contractors are scheduled to return to Kalumburu in the coming weeks.”<\/p>\n

The department did not respond to questions on the average cost associated with sending contractors to Kalumburu.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Inside one of Australia’s most isolated communities, bug infestations, walls covered in black mould and broken toilets are…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":17074,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[17036,22,21,17035,1125,17033,2308,17032,17034,5824,5245,3735,464],"class_list":["post-17073","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-australia","tag-aboriginal-affairs","tag-au","tag-austrlia","tag-department-of-communities","tag-elder","tag-first-nation","tag-indigenous","tag-kalumburu","tag-kalumburu-aboriginal-corporation","tag-kimberley","tag-public-housing","tag-wa","tag-wa-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17073","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17073"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17073\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17074"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17073"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17073"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17073"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}