Black mould and broken toilets in 'dismal' government-owned homes

Some of Australia's most isolated residents live with black mould and broken toilets in government housingBy Dunja Karagic and Giulia BertoglioABC Kimberley Link copiedShareShare articleInside 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. When Matilda Djanghara and her two granddaughters need to use the toilet, they're forced to walk down the road. "I take them to my brother's house, but it's so far," she says. Kalumburu resident Matilda Djanghara has to walk down the road to use the toilet. (ABC Kimberley: Giulia Bertoglio) She says her toilet hasn't worked for weeks. A towel sits over the drain on her bathroom floor, soaking up water that gushes out if it's flushed. The plumbing issue means the bathroom and kitchen sinks also pool with water. Matilda Djanghara has to soak up water that gushes out of the drain on her bathroom floor. (ABC Kimberley: Giulia Bertoglio) Cupboards and window flyscreens are broken. (ABC Kimberley: Giulia Bertoglio) She's one of about 300 people who live in Kalumburu, Western Australia's most northern community. It was more than 30 degrees and 80 per cent humidity when the ABC visited last month, with Matilda's home offering no reprieve. She points to an air conditioning unit coated in black dust, saying it has been broken for months. Matilda Djanghara says the flyscreen doesn't unlock, leaving her worried about the safety of her granddaughters. (ABC Kimberley: Dunja Karagic) On her porch, Matilda points to a window, the flyscreen coming up with a pull. "This window doesn't even shut — there's no safety," she says. Matilda worries about her granddaughters' health and safety. 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. Matilda Djanghara is worried for the safety of her daughters. (ABC Kimberley: Giulia Bertoglio) Instead, she must wait for a government contractor to repair any issues. It is only accessible by air for half the year due to flooding, with flights every third day. Kalumburu is the most northern community in Western Australia. (ABC News) Despite the issues, Matilda pays rent to live here. "How are we paying rent when nothing is fixed?" she says. Next door, Kieran Karadada also walks to a relative's house to use the toilet. When he flushes the toilet or uses the kitchen sink, water floods his floors. Stagnant brown water sits pooled in the bathroom sink, unable to drain. Stagnant brown water sits pooled in Keiran Karadada's bathroom sink, unable to drain. (ABC Kimberley: Giulia Bertoglio) "I pay rent and I can't use the toilet," Kieran says. To make a cup of tea, he walks to the backyard to fill the kettle from an outdoor tap. He says he has no hot water, making showering in the colder months difficult. Kieran Karadada says waiting for the department to fix his house is a "headache". (ABC Kimberley: Giulia Bertoglio) He says his living situation has been like this for years, but no-one from the Department has visited his home. "It's a headache waiting for them," he says. Elder Dorothy Djanghara watches her step as she walks on her porch. The wood has rotted away in multiple places from the heavy rain, leaving jagged holes where floorboards used to be. Every time it rains at Dorothy's house, the timber deck gets softer and more dangerous. (ABC Kimberley: Giulia Bertoglio) "Every time the rain comes, it makes the timber soft," she says. She says her daughter had once fallen "straight through the timber". The only other way into Dorothy's home is through the back steps, but she says this is even riskier. Makeshift metal and stone steps balance on two bricks, which wobble beneath her feet. There is no safe entry into Dorothy Djanghara's house. (ABC Kimberley: Dunja Karagic) "The stairs are not safe because of the injuries in my knees," she says. "I'm so scared of coming up or going down. Dorothy says it's been this way for over three years. "[The Department] only take photos, they never did anything." With children often visiting, she's worried someone might "hurt themselves or break their leg". Elder Dorothy Djanghara is scared every time she has to leave the house because of her rotten decking. (ABC Kimberley: Giulia Bertoglio) "We are paying so much money to rent and living in a house like this where there is no help," she says. Multiple residents tell the ABC to visit the house with the paperbark tree. They say it's the "worst" in the community in terms of disrepair. Kalumburu residents say the "paperbark tree" house is the worst for damage. (ABC Kimberley: Giulia Bertoglio) Inside, elder Bernadette Waina sits on a couch beside family members seated on a mattress on the floor. Multiple family members yell at once, pointing to a myriad of issues. Bernadette Waina says her front door doesn't close

Black mould and broken toilets in 'dismal' government-owned homes

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