Qld taxpayers billed $9m for health services at mothballed Wellcamp quarantine hub

Queensland’s Health Minister says taxpayers will foot a significant portion of a $108 million bill for health services at the government’s Covid-19 quarantine centre near Toowoomba.

Queensland taxpayers have been billed almost $9m for health services at the mothballed Wellcamp quarantine hub, but Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said final costs are still yet to be determined.

Aspen Medical was awarded a contract without undergoing a tender process to provide onsite medical services, overseen by Queensland Health, at the Queensland Regional Accommodation Centre.

The hub, built in Wellcamp, near Toowoomba in southeast Queensland, was designed to be a quarantine centre for those with Covid-19.

The State Government’s Wellcamp quarantine hub, the Queensland Regional Accommodation Centre in Wellcamp, near Toowoomba

While the financial details were kept a closely guarded secret for months, it was revealed in July the government had agreed to a cap of $108m to provide the health services at the quarantine accommodation.

But with the 1000 beds barely used, Ms D’Ath confirmed in a Question on Notice taxpayers would still foot a significant bill, with Queensland Health receiving $8.93m of invoices from the provider through to September 26.

“The contract is structured such that the Queensland Government only pays for services rendered,” she said.

“I am advised by the department that the contract with Aspen Medical was originally forecast to cost $16.2 million for the 2022 financial year.”

Health Minister Yvette D'Ath during a presser at Parliament House, Brisbane. Picture: Liam Kidston

Deputy Premier and Infrastructure Minister Steven Miles flagged the projected $16m cost during July’s budget estimates, while also stating the cost of the Wellcamp accommodation was more than $200m after months of the government insisting the deal for the build was “commercial-in-confidence”.

Ms D’Ath also said final costs relating to the contract with Aspen Medical were yet to be finalised, and Queensland Health would not be billed for early termination of the contract.

The government has a 12-month lease for the quarantine centre with the developers, the Wagner Corporation, scheduled to expire in April 2023.

The first stage of the construction of Wellcamp was completed in December, but was officially mothballed from August, with about 700 people staying in the centre.