Outbreak fears as regions brace for proposed COVID camps

A lack of consultation has left regional councils fearing potential outbreaks if plans to ship returned international travellers to mining camps goes ahead.

Regional Queensland towns, who’ve never recorded coronavirus cases, don’t know whether they will be forced to house quarantine guests and fear lack of notice could leave them underprepared.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk revealed she would present “a number of options” for potential worker-accommodation that could house international returnees for their 14-day quarantine period, at the national cabinet meeting on Friday.

However, Ms Palaszczuk yesterday would not reveal which sites or which of Queensland’s 77 Councils were being considered.

The lack of consultation has left regional councils - including Gladstone and Western Downs - fearing potential outbreaks due to lack of communication and under-preparedness.

It is understood Homeground Villages in Calliope, near Gladstone, have been flagged as one potential site, however, the local Council says it has been left in the dark.

“We don’t even know whether the decision has been made or is going to be made at this stage,” Gladstone Regional Council Deputy Mayor Kahn Goodluck said.

“The Premier has come out and said they will be having a discussion at national cabinet so we sort of don’t know any more than that.”

Homeground Villages in Calliope.

Western Downs Mayor Paul McVeigh said he had not received any consultation and felt his region was not a good fit for quarantine camps.

“If this was to proceed, we’d certainly be looking for a lot more consultation within the leaders of our community and access to those facilities,” he said.

“The other issue is our medical facilities, if those who are in quarantine happen to develop COVID, we probably don’t have the facilities that can tame this virus.”

Mr Burnett has called for “urgent clarification” to the process including which facilities would be used and the virus containment strategy.

He was joined by state opposition in demanding answers to the Grand Chancellor Hotel debacle before quarantine procedures are moved into Queensland regions.

“Community members and local government are rightfully up in arms because there has been no consultation,” Member for Burdekin Dale Last said.

“Some of them (mining communities) have no doctors and in others you can’t even have an X-ray taken, so how are they meant to deal with a potential outbreak of coronavirus?”