Qld COVID quarantine camp ruled out by nation’s Chief Health Officer

As the nation’s Chief Health Officer rules out a Queensland quarantine facility, a federal MP has targeted the Premier’s refusal to concede defeat.

The quarantine facility proposed by the Queensland Government for Wellcamp near Toowoomba is effectively dead and buried, with Australia’s top health official confirming the Commonwealth was “not actively exploring” any purpose-built infrastructure.

And even if the 1000-bed quarantine facility was built at the privately owned Wellcamp Airport, there aren’t enough public health workers to run it.

But the State Government is adamant the proposal is still on the table, with Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s office yet to receive any official advice from Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

Professor Brendan Murphy during a press conference after the National Cabinet meeting in Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: Gary Ramage/NCA NewsWire

In a Senate hearing into coronavirus on Tuesday night, Health Department secretary Prof Brendan Murphy confirmed the Commonwealth was not actively exploring any other purpose-built facilities at the moment.

He also said the Commonwealth would not be in a position to manage or run a purpose-built facility.

“Even if one were constructed, we do not have the public health workforce to do that,” Prof Murphy said.

Both governments have been at loggerheads since the idea of the purpose-built quarantine camp was first raised three months ago.

While the Prime Minister has not officially rejected the proposal, he has refused to support it, consistently calling for the State Government to provide more detail about the proposal.

Health Minister Greg Hunt this week questioned the “appropriateness” of the proposal when weighed against the government’s quarantine facility principles, which include “reasonable proximity” to an international airport and to a hospital capable of managing COVID-19 patients.

Garth Hamilton

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk

Following Prof Murphy’s comments at the inquiry, Member for Groom Garth Hamilton – whose electorate encompasses the proposed site and who is opposed to the project – said the debate was done and dusted “in everyone’s mind but the Premier’s”.

“For three months my community have made it clear they don’t want this project, and now the nation’s top health professional have made it clear there is no appetite for this option,” he said.

A spokesman for Ms Palaszczuk hit back, saying coronavirus remained a present danger to the community and regional quarantine facilities close to airports had the support of premiers in other states and the Australian Medical Association.

“If we’d had an answer to our simple question – whether the Prime Minister would allow flights or not – it could be built by now,” he said.

A frustrated John Wagner, holding site plans, on the area at his Wellcamp Airport where he wants to immediately build a COVID quarantine facility. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen/The Australian

“The Queensland Government stands willing to work with the Federal Government to make regional quarantine a reality.”

The recent three-day snap lockdown in Western Australia has reignited debate about Commonwealth-controlled quarantine capacity, above what is available at Darwin’s Howard Springs facility.

The Prime Minister has defended the state-run hotel quarantine system, saying it had a success rate of 99.99 per cent.

Prof Murphy confirmed to the Senate inquiry the Government had looked at 20 other potential buildings to morph into quarantine facilities, including defence bases.

“There is no other similar site (to the one in Darwin), we looked at maybe 20, a number of military bases (as well), which were all entirely unsuitable,” he said.