Questions over who pays for services at Pinkenba quarantine facility

Taxpayers could foot the bill for day-to-day operations such as health services at the Pinkenba quarantine facility once construction is completed. VOTE IN OUR POLL

Taxpayers could foot the bill for external contractors to provide services at the Pinkenba quarantine facility that’s expected to open within months.

And it’s not known whether the state government will undertake tender processes if outsourcing is required.

It comes as the government was forced to defend its links with Anacta Strategies – headed by former Queensland Labor secretary Evan Moorhead – after a contract for the Wellcamp quarantine facility was awarded to one of its clients.

The government will be in charge of operations at Pinkenba, including health services, once the commonwealth completes construction.

Supplied artist impression by the federal government of the Pinkenba quarantine facility. Picture: Supplied

The first 250 beds are expected to be handed over to the government by the end of March, with the remaining 250 due by the end of April.

Asked whether operations would be outsourced and whether any potential contracts would go to tender, a state government spokesman said, “The Queensland government is working collaboratively with the commonwealth to progress the Centre for National Resilience at Pinkenba including currently considering the operating model and uses for the facility”.

Opposition finance spokesman Jarrod Bleijie took aim at the “secrecy” of the Wellcamp quarantine facility, saying he hoped the government had “learnt its lessons and will be open and transparent with how it’s using taxpayers’ money.”

The government has come under fire over the last six months after Wagner Corporation was contracted to build Wellcamp in Toowoomba without a tender.

The Courier-Mail revealed the government also didn’t conduct a tender process to secure Aspen Medical which will provide on-site medical services at the Wellcamp facility.

The Opposition grilled the government about its links with Anacta Strategies on Thursday, with Deputy Opposition Leader David Janetzki asking Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk whether she stood by “the decision that only one company had the capability to provide medical services at Wellcamp.”

Anacta has previously said it has not made any representations on behalf of Aspen Medical relating to Wellcamp.

Ms Palaszczuk said ministers did not get involved in decisions that were recommended by the department.

“This decision was at arm’s length from ministers,” she said.

“I am advised by the Deputy Premier that they (Aspen Medical) were the only company that could do that contract.”

The Premier said consultation with hospital and health services and other potential providers revealed capacity could not be scaled up in time.