Imagine living without a back door for five years.

That was the situation for a woman in the tiny remote community of Santa Teresa in the Northern Territory. She was one of a group of residents who sued their landlord, the territory government, for providing substandard housing.

After seven years, their legal battle finally came to an end yesterday when the High Court confirmed their right to compensation for the “distress and disappointment” caused by their dire homes.

As Chris Martin writes, it’s a hard-fought victory for a community that’s had a long road to justice: “There are many barriers to tenants fighting for what they’re entitled to, so it’s a remarkable result. The two leaders of the litigation died before the High Court handed down its decision. It is a memorial to them.”

While it’s too soon to tell how this ruling will apply in other states and territories, it’s likely to have similar results, Martin predicts. As is often the way, the devil will be in the detail.

Meanwhile, the neighbouring state of Queensland has always had bushfires, as climate sceptics are so fond of telling us. But the fires claiming homes in the Sunshine State are not normal, as fire experts from the University of Tasmania point out. They’re early – it’s still spring. And five times as many are burning through the night compared to an average October.

That’s a real worry, write Calum Cunningham and his colleagues. It means the region is so dry, with so little moisture in the air, that night-time brings no reprieve. It’s a deeply concerning sign ahead of a long, dry summer.

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