OVERCROWDING FOR INDIGENOUS FLOOD VICTIMS IN THE KIMBERLEY
Credit: Pxhere
A local community leader says that those who have lost their homes are being moved into overpacked facilities.
Nyikina man Neville Poelina from Broome says overcrowding is a problem that is leading to other issues in the Indigenous community.
“Overcrowding is a huge problem with our people, from overcrowding a lot of negatives come out of that, and one of them is child abuse,” he said.
Mr. Poelina said the overcrowding before the floods was a problem and since the floods, the issue has been exacerbated.
“While I’ve got this opportunity I’ll say, you want to start fixing problems with our people, start spreading them out amongst houses, you know, don’t crowd them up.”
Neville Poelina’s family feeding the homeless. Credit: Neville Poelina
“I think it’s time our government starts looking at our housing so that our people can stop and have the space to look at a future.”
Mr. Poelina is a local legend that has been helping the homeless all his life. Now the floods have hit near his hometown in Broome, he hasn’t stopped.
“The bank had closed, the pub had closed, and there was no where dry, so I thought I’d go jump in my car and go feed my mob, but that’s not a one off thing I’ve been doing that all my life,” he said.
Mr. Poelina says this is the worst flood in his lifetime and that it was lucky that no lives were lost.
“In times of crisis we all look after eachother, and I think that is one of the reasons we never really lost anyone in the Kimberley.”
Mr. Poelina speaks with Eliza Kloser about feeding the homeless, the issues facing Indigenous families from the floods, and gives out some life advice in this heartwarming interview.