Health workers in a remote Northern Territory community, where a policeman shot dead an Indigenous teenager, say they feel safe despite ongoing fighting in the town.
Doctor Amy Rosser and nurse Sally Halton gave evidence on Thursday at the inquest into the death of Kumanjayi Walker who was killed during a bungled arrest in 2019.
They told the inquiry that despite media reports of Yuendumu being a dysfunctional community, something which made recruiting workers almost impossible, they had always felt safe.
But at the same time, they painted a picture of a town where break-ins remained a problem and fighting between two rival factions often led to serious injuries.
Dr Rosser, who had worked in Yuendumu for seven years, said the violence wasn't targeted at health staff but at times spilled over onto the clinic grounds.
Ms Halton said sometimes serious weapons, including axes and screwdrivers were involved, and there had been instances where she had to close the clinic doors to ensure the safety of people inside.
On the issue of break-ins at the homes of health workers, the inquest was told that while the frequency had reduced since the deployment of security staff in 2020, some still occurred.
Ms Halton said nurses were keen on the introduction of a health compound rather than having their homes dotted throughout the community.
"That's part of the reason why people don't want to come here because they think they're going to be unsafe," she said.
Ms Halton said she believed the community would accept the idea of a secure area, if it resulted in good staff staying in the town.
The inquest was also told that Indigenous elders felt "powerless" to stop the break-ins which they described as not part of their culture.
Ms Halton said elders felt they were being "held to ransom" by rival groups and were "at a loss" at what to do.
"I don't think anyone has an answer at the moment," she said.
Mr Walker, 19, died about an hour after Constable Zachary Rolfe shot him three times.
Const Rolfe was charged with both murder and manslaughter but was acquitted on all charges after a Supreme Court trial.
Dr Rosser told the inquest that immediately after the death of Mr Walker people in the community felt upset, angry and betrayed.
But she said health workers had since "regained a lot of trust".
The inquest was continuing.
