Update 27: Katherine region

7am Wednesday 18 March 2026

Katherine and Wugularr (Beswick) transition to recovery phase

Katherine and Wugularr (Beswick) have officially transitioned to the recovery phase following recent major flooding.

This marks an important step forward for both communities, with emergency response activities now scaled back and recovery efforts underway.

What this means for the community

Emergency shelters at Katherine High School and in Wugularr are now closed.
Essential services have mostly been restored, including power, water and healthcare.
Schools and clinics have reopened.
Most residents have returned home, with only a small number of properties still without power.
Community members can begin returning to normal activities.

Katherine District Hospital is fully operational, and services are in place to support residents as recovery continues.

Recovery arrangements

The Department of the Chief Minister and Cabinet has now assumed leadership of recovery efforts in Katherine and Wugularr (Beswick).

Recovery support will continue to focus on helping residents, businesses and communities return to normal.

Other communities

The following communities remain in the response phase:

Daly River
Palumpa
Jilkminggan.

Residents from these areas continue to be supported in evacuation centres in Darwin and Mataranka.

Boil water alerts

A boil alert is in place for:

Jilkminggan
Palumpa
Daly River.

Boil water alerts have been lifted for Katherine, Tindal, Wugularr (Beswick) and Binjari.

Volunteers needed – step up if you can

Northern Territory Emergency Services is calling on the Katherine community to offer assistance as volunteers to help with clean-up efforts.

If you are able and willing to be a spontaneous volunteer and support the community, come along to 14 Crawford St Katherine East at 8am on Tuesday 17 March. Volunteers receive a briefing, assigned tasks, and provided with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Please wear long pants and enclosed shoes.

Volunteers providing assistance are greatly appreciated, but their safety is always the priority. Please avoid high risk activities. If you’re wondering how to get involved in the coming days, keep an eye on this SecureNT website for updates on where help is needed and how to register.

Schools

Following safety assessments and ongoing recovery efforts, all government schools in Katherine reopened on Monday 16 March 2026.

Katherine High School will operate in hybrid mode, serving as both high school and evacuation centre.

The following remote schools will remain closed for the week beginning Monday 16 March:

Nganmarriyanga School
Woolianna School
Wugularr School.

Waste management

The Katherine Waste Management Facility is currently closed to the public.

Residents in flood affected areas may begin placing whitegoods, furniture, clothing, bedding and similar items on their verges for collection. You will need remove all food contents from the fridges, freezers and similar items and place this into your wheelie bin.

Verge collections will commence Thursday, 12 March, and will continue for two weeks. The contractor will complete multiple sweeps through all flood affected areas.

Food waste should be placed in your kerbside bin as normal.

Residents are encouraged to check with their insurer for any requirements before placing items on the verge.

If you lost your bin in the flood and require a new one, please contact Council on 08 8972 5500 or email records@ktc.nt.gov.au. Alternatively, you can use Snap Send Solve service – Incident Type Lost your Wheelie Bin - Flood 2026.

Financial assistance

Disaster assistance has been activated for residents within the Katherine Town Council area and now extended to the Roper Gulf Local Government Area (Beswick and Jilkminggan only) following an emergency situation declaration and major flooding that has impacted the town.

The Australian and Northern Territory governments are jointly providing support under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA) to assist residents affected by flooding in Katherine.

Residents whose homes have been directly impacted may be eligible for Category A, Personal Hardship and Distress Assistance (Immediate Relief Payments) and Re-establishment Measures.

Immediate relief payments will be available to all residents of Katherine Town Council area and residents of Jilkminggan and Wugularr/Beswick affected by floods to:
- assist residents experiencing personal hardship as a result of the flooding
- help with the immediate impacts of flooding.
This includes immediate relief payments of $611 per adult and $309 per child, capped at $1,537 per family, with payments made via a pre-paid debit card.
For information about how to use your pre-paid card, see pre-paid card limitations PDF (204.0 KB).
Payments for Katherine residents are being made in a phased approach to prioritise those households experiencing the greatest impact.
Residents include those that reside in the area for work purposes, but their permanent residence may be elsewhere.
Payments will be prioritised for households most affected, including those whose homes were inundated.
Please do not come to the payment centre until advised. See below for the first stage of priority phasing.
How and when to apply
Find out how and when you can apply below.
For residents of Katherine
Katherine residents whose homes have been inundated or who are staying at an evacuation centre.
On Thursday 12 March – immediate relief payments will be available from 12noon once the venue is safe to open.
You can apply between:
- 9am and 5pm weekdays
- 9am to 5pm Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 March.
All other Katherine residents
Payments will commence from 9am Friday 13 March.
Where to apply
The Godinymayin Yijard Rivers Arts & Culture Centre
LOT 3238 Stuart Hwy
Katherine East
Applications will be processed based on priority groups outlined above.
Services Australia are in attendance at the recovery centres to help with any urgent Centrelink business whilst the Katherine Service Centre is closed.
Payments are no longer being processed from Katherine High School.
What to bring
Eligible residents must bring:
- photo ID (e.g. drivers’ licence)
- proof of residence (recent rental agreement, rates notice, utilities bill, letter from employer)
- proof of family status (e.g. Medicare card or Centrelink).
We thank the community for their patience during this time.
For residents of Jilkminggan
Payments will be made from the evacuation centre in Mataranka.
Further information about how to apply will be available shortly.
For residents of Wugularr/Beswick
Further information about how to apply will be available shortly.
Further assistance may also be available to replace essential household items, with eligible households able to receive up to $8,843.
This assistance is means tested and there are limits on claims.
This may include support to repair or replace essential household items, such as:
- beds and bedding
- furniture
- refrigerators
- washing machines
- other whitegoods
- basic household items.
Eligibility assessment and payment options will be finalised once damage assessments can be completed.
To ensure you have the appropriate evidence to support damage and eligibility assessments, you must document (photos and footage) any inundation (flooding) of your home. Do not dispose of damaged items without recording evidence of the damage.

Temporary accommodation assistance

Eligible flood-affected residents in the Katherine Town Council area may receive $340 per adult and $172 per child, capped at $1,160 per family to reimburse the cost of short-term temporary accommodation while they are unable to return home. This assistance is means tested.

How to apply

Payments are made via reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses up to $1,160 per family.

Affected residents can apply:

in person at the Godinymayin Yijard Rivers Arts & Culture Centre between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday
an online form will be available soon.

Eligible residents must provide:

a tax receipt for out-of-pocket accommodation expenses in the name of the applicant (including ABN and GST details)
photo ID (such as drivers’ licence)
proof of residence (recent rental agreement, rates notice, utilities bill, letter from employer)
proof of annual income (payslips, tax statements or Centrelink statements).

Income limits apply

Payments are means-tested, and income thresholds apply. Please see below for income thresholds.

Personal hardship and distress means test	Gross income threshold
Single adult – no children	$65,189
Single adult – with children	$84,189
2 Adults – no children (joint income)	$103,189
2 Adults – with children (joint income)	$122,190

The DRFA also supports the NT Government and local authorities to undertake:
- counter-disaster operations
- debris removal
- emergency works
- restoration of essential public infrastructure.

Alcohol restrictions in Katherine

Liquor sale restrictions are currently in place in Katherine and Mataranka under section 257 of the Liquor Act due to the emergency declaration following the recent flooding.
The restrictions were implemented by Liquor Licensing at the request of the Local Emergency Management Committees, consistent with the Northern Regional Emergency Management Committee’s decision.
The Katherine Liquor Accord is acknowledged for proposing self-imposed service restrictions to help mitigate alcohol-related issues. This cooperation will be considered by the Local Emergency Management Committee when assessing the earliest opportunity for licensed premises to reopen safely.

From Monday 16 March 2026, temporary liquor restrictions will apply in the Katherine and Big Rivers region.

Takeaway (off-premise)

Limit of one item per person (carton of beer, bottle of wine, bottle of spirits, 10-pack or 6-pack), with BDR restricted button applied to each sale.
Proof of Katherine address required (driver’s licence or 18+ card with supporting documentation such as lease agreement, power bill, employer letter, bank statement or Centrelink card). Exemptions apply for clean-up crews and emergency personnel assisting with flood recovery.
Reduced trading hours: 2pm to 6pm Monday to Friday, 12pm to 6pm Saturday.
Licensees, managers or security staff must verify proof of address.

On-premise

One drink per person at a time.
No drink specials or jugs.
Proof of Katherine address required (with the same exemptions for clean-up crews and emergency personnel).
No takeaway alcohol from clubs.
No live entertainment.
Closing times: pubs by 6pm or earlier; clubs by 9pm or earlier.

This approach reflects an industry-led model for responsible service and community management, developed in consultation with local licensees and the Katherine Liquor Accord.

Northern Territory Police support the timely opportunity to trial industry-led solutions as the community moves into the recovery phase following the flooding.

If these arrangements prove ineffective, NT Police retain the ability to utilise suspension powers under section 258 of the Liquor Act as a safety net to respond quickly if required.

Road update

Many roads in the region have been severley damaged.

Please drive with caution and follow all instructions.

Do not drive on closed or flooded roads. Road conditions can change quickly.

For up to date advice, go to the Road Report NT website.

Power and Water

Major flooding has caused extensive disruption to Power and Water services in Katherine and several remote communities.

Restoration begins with large and critical infrastructure repaired first, followed by smaller infrastructure, then individual homes. This means the largest number of people are safely reconnected in the shortest time possible.

If your property has water damage, the service line to your home has come loose or the connection point where the service line joins your property is damaged, you must contact an NT-licensed electrician to check your wiring before Power and Water can reconnect your power.

They will lodge a Certificate of Compliance, which lets crews know your property is safe to reconnect.

You can find further information about service connections and the regulations around compliance PowerWater website.

Katherine District Hospital

Katherine Hospital has reopened.

Patients who were evacuated to Royal Darwin Hospital will be transferred back over the coming week.

Previous updates

Page last updated 19 March 2026

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