A coronial inquest into the 2023 death of three-year-old Mitchell Thomas due to smoke inhalation during a house fire in Alice Springs has revealed alarming maintenance failures by the NT Department of Housing. The child tragically succumbed to the effects of a fire that originated from the roof of a public housing property in the Larapinta area. Evidence presented during the inquest highlighted deficiencies in the management of maintenance records, electrical safety regulations, and other critical standards that should be upheld in public housing facilities.

Family members of the deceased, Mitchell Thomas, expressed their hope that the findings of the inquest will catalyze meaningful changes in public housing policies and practices. During the final phases of the hearings, representatives from the NT Department of Housing and NT WorkSafe provided testimony regarding the standards they were supposed to adhere to, raising concerns about accountability and oversight within the public housing sector in the Northern Territory. The tragic incident stands as a poignant reminder of the inadequacies that can exist in housing safety and the dire consequences they can have.

This inquest not only sheds light on the specifics of one tragic incident but also highlights broader systemic issues regarding public housing maintenance in Australia, especially in remote areas like Alice Springs. It prompts a critical examination of policies governing housing safety for vulnerable populations, directly linking the need for improved safety standards and greater responsibility from housing authorities to prevent such fatalities in the future.