Capacity of Pinkenba quarantine facility to be potentially halved to 500-beds federal government confirms

New details, including images, have revealed for the first time what Brisbane’s Covid quarantine camp is expected to look like. But the federal government has hinted big changes may already be in the pipeline.

The size of a Covid-19 quarantine camp being built by the federal government could be halved amid a faster than expected reopening of the nation’s international border.

Construction on the dedicated quarantine facility being built on Defence land in Pinkenba, just 5km from the Brisbane Airport, is well underway with contractor Multiplex starting to “ramp-up” work according to the federal government.

The first 500-beds are due to be built on schedule in the first quarter of next year, but the federal government is reviewing the original 1000-bed capacity plan.

This is due to concerns around whether the next 500-beds will be justified as the country opens up sooner than expected.

New details, including artist renditions, have also revealed for the first time what the facility will look like and how it will function.

Already Australians, permanent residents and their immediate family are allowed to come into the country via New South Wales and Victoria without having to go into quarantine.

From November 21 Australia’s doors will also swing open to fully vaccinated Singaporean residents, including for tourism purposes.

Vaccinated international arrivals will be allowed to home quarantine in Queensland from December 17, with no quarantine required once 90 per cent of the state’s population is vaccinated against Covid-19.

The state government also has 500 quarantine beds set to come online at its Wellcamp facility near Toowoomba by the end of the year.

At present the state government has flagged the use of the facility to quarantine international students early in 2022, prior to Queensland hitting the 90 per cent vaccination rate.

It is understood the federal government had written to their Queensland counterparts on Monday, confirming its decision to review the need for Pinkenba to go beyond a 500-bed facility.

Western Australia has also been informed the size of its quarantine camp is being reviewed.

Finance Minister Simon Birmingham said the centre would help boost “medium and long-term capability to respond to future pandemics or disasters”.

The facility will also be used as an evacuation centre during cyclones, bushfires or potentially as accommodation for Australia’s humanitarian efforts, like the recent situation in Afghanistan.

“While quarantine requirements continue to evolve as vaccination rates surge and states progressively open their borders, this centre will be there to support any ongoing quarantine requirements throughout the pandemic,” Mr Birmingham said.

The Pinkenba facility will be made mainly “quite sophisticated” modular buildings being constructed offsite according to the federal government.

Alongside the quarantine dongas, the Pinkenba site will also have a processing centre for new arrivals, a police station, workshop, kitchen, waste services facility and a laundry.