Wellcamp hub ‘absolutely’ worth it despite feds looking at cutting capacity at Pinkenba facility

The Palaszczuk Government has doubled down in its support for the Wellcamp quarantine hub, declaring it’s still worth the money despite the Morrison Government reviewing the size of its Brisbane facility.

Taxpayers have been assured the 1000-bed Wellcamp quarantine facility is still good value for money as the Commonwealth considers shrinking its centre at Pinkenba.

Deputy Premier Steven Miles on Tuesday insisted Queensland needed the hub that would be used for various reasons including returning travellers who didn’t have suitable quarantine arrangements.

It came after The Courier-Mail revealed the Federal Government was reviewing the size of its 1000-bed Pinkenba facility which could be halved as the country opens up sooner than expected.

Asked whether the state government would also review the size of Wellcamp, Mr Miles said the facility would come online sooner than Pinkenba.

“In fact they (Commonwealth) anticipate their stage one will come online about the same time as stage two for Wellcamp,” he said.

“And so we’ve been able to move faster, and we will be able to access that facility sooner.”

Agriculture Minister Mark Furner and Deputy Premier Steven Miles. Picture: Jerad Williams

Agriculture Minister Mark Furner said if Queensland hadn’t forged ahead with Wellcamp, it would have been in a difficult position given the Commonwealth was reviewing Pinkenba’s size.

Asked whether Wellcamp would be needed once the state hit its vaccine threshold of 90 per cent – when vaccinated international travellers won’t need to quarantine – Mr Furner said it was important to have a back-up plan.

“We didn’t know we were getting the Delta variant, we don’t know what the next variants will be and what involvement that will have on the health of Queenslanders … it’s important to have a back-up plan like this to ensure we accommodate the type of variants and changes to this pandemic,” he said.

Mr Furner said it was “absolutely” good value for money.

Agriculture Minister Mark Furner at the Wellcamp quarantine facility. Picture: Kevin Farmer

While taxpayers have been kept in the dark about how much Wellcamp is costing, Wagners non-executive chairman Denis Wagner said there were “tens of millions of dollars” being spent on site each month.

Hundreds of workers are currently on site with the first Toowoomba-made accommodation modules having now been installed.

Opposition attorney-general spokesman Tim Nicholls said there was no doubt quarantine facilities would be required into the future, but called on the state government to allow more home quarantine sooner.

“My main concern is that this Labor state government is not focusing on the people that it’s meant to represent by ensuring that there is a proper system of home quarantine,” he said.

“They’re spending who knows how much on Wellcamp.

“In the mean time Queenslanders are stuck over the border.”