The house where Kumanjayi Walker was fatally shot by a police officer will likely be kept empty in his memory, the coroner investigating his death has heard.
Mr Walker, 19, died in November 2019 in the remote Central Australian community of Yuendumu, 300 kilometres north-west of Alice Springs, after he was shot three times by NT Police Constable Zachary Rolfe.
Constable Rolfe was last year found not guilty of all charges related to the shooting.
House 511, where Mr Walker was shot, is now known as 'Memory House' and stands as a decorated shrine.
On the final day of the second block of inquest hearings, coroner Elisabeth Armitage heard the current tenant of House 511, Margaret Brown, wanted the housing department to declare the little red house as a memorial site.
"I think we need to clarify whether it's going to be used in the future as a home or whether it's going to be used as a place to visit and memorialise, because that will determine what kind of maintenance we do there," said housing department deputy chief executive, Brent Warren.
As the coroner probed the links between housing, health, education and the youth justice system, Mr Warren was questioned about the state of public housing in Yuendumu.
He told the inquest there were currently 23 houses in the community in need of significant refurbishment, which the department was advised about last year.
Several others with outstanding general maintenance requests.
Mr Warren accepted the 23 houses were "below acceptable standard", but told the coroner there was no indication the houses were totally uninhabitable.
"We're not aware of anything that would prevent anyone from living safely in those houses," Mr Warren said.
Despite acknowledging the homes needed "significant works", Mr Warren told the inquest residents were still required to pay their full rent to the department.
Mr Warren told the inquest there had been delays in sending construction crews to Yuendumu in recent months, due to issues with water access and sorry business, or funeral ceremonies.
"We should have started building in February [but] unfortunately, due to a death in the community, there was a need to step back to allow sorry business to occur," Mr Warren said.
"So really, they need to be sensitive, and a construction company has stood down whilst that sorry business was completed and they're now ready to start doing that work."
He told the coroner residents of homes requiring general maintenance did not receive a reduction to their rent.
"If a window is broken in a bedroom where there may only be one window, that window can be boarded up, and they're still required to pay $70 a week for that bedroom with a boarded-up window, which may be almost uninhabitable?" Judge Armitage asked.
"If a window's been secured through boarding up, yes, they'll still be asked to pay rent," Mr Warren said.
"The house has been made secure and we've initiated … getting a glazier in to come and replace the glass."
Mr Warren told the inquest recent changes to the government's remote rental scheme – which charges residents $70 per bedroom, per week — had increased the rents of some houses by up to 40 per cent.
The coroner heard there had been no change to the houses despite the increase in rents.
Community policing panel gives evidence
The final witnesses to give evidence before the inquest adjourns for several months were a trio of current and former police officers who spoke about policing in remote Aboriginal communities.
Former West Australian-based officer, Lindsay Greatorex, told the coroner about working with "wardens" in remote communities, a role described as similar to the Aboriginal Liaison Officers employed in the territory.
"They weren't police officers as such, they were eyes and ears," Mr Greatorex said.
"When you're remote, your back up is hours away … so I always had my warden with me. Having them there was just so much easier."
Mr Greatorex, an Aboriginal man from the north of WA, told the coroner he didn't speak the language of many of the people he policed, but relied on his colleague to connect with members of the community.
He told the inquest Aboriginal community police officers were essential to any police force in Australia.
"I would recommend ACPOS meeting once or twice a year to discuss the matters, this is their country," Mr Greatorex said.
"Why not get together … it [would be] money well spent."
Inquest adjourns pending Supreme Court appeal
After two weeks of hearings, the coroner adjourned the inquest as she awaits further evidence from Constable Rolfe.
Constable Rolfe gave brief evidence to the inquest during the first block of sittings late last year.
But he was excused from answering a series of questions pending a Supreme Court appeal.
Justice Judith Kelly ruled the officer could be compelled to answer questions, but lawyers for Constable Rolfe launched an appeal of that decision in January.
The full bench of the NT Supreme Court will hear appeal arguments in April.
It will be open to any of the parties involved – including Constable Rolfe, the NT Attorney-General, NAAJA and NT Police – to further appeal to the High Court.
The inquest is currently scheduled to resume in Alice Springs on July 31, when Constable Rolfe is expected to be called to give evidence.
