Quarantine hub Toowoomba: All your questions answered

The State Government has announced it will forge ahead with a quarantine hub near Toowoomba. Here’s everything you need to know.

Still in the dark about the Toowoomba Covid quarantine proposal? Here’s all of your questions answered.

What is being built at Wellcamp?

The State Government and the Wagners have partnered to build a facility outside Toowoomba that will quarantine arrivals coming into Queensland.

How big will it be?

There will be 1000 beds at the facility.

Where will it be situated? How close is it to the Toowoomba CBD?

The facility will be built to the north of the Wellcamp Airport runway in the Wellcamp Business Park. This is about 15km from Toowoomba’s CBD.

Who is building the facility?

Wagner Corporation will construct the facility. The Queensland Government will operate the facility once it is up and running.

How much will construction of the facility cost?

The State Government said the cost of the facility was commercial in confidence, but it was “a lot cheaper” than the proposal at Pinkenba.

Will the facility put the Toowoomba community at greater risk of Covid?

This depends on who you would ask. Under the proposal from the Wagners, quarantined arrivals will have no interaction with the public or staff. But Groom MP Garth Hamilton has previously said his primary concern was the safety of Toowoomba residents, as has Toowoomba developer Clive Berghofer. It’s worth noting there has never been an outbreak linked to the Howard Springs facility, which Wellcamp is based off.

What happens to people who need hospital treatment for Covid?

Covid patients needing hospital treatment will be flown or taken via ambulance to Brisbane.

What date will it be operational?

The Wagners expect to have 500 beds available by the end of the year, with the additional 500 beds following that in the first quarter of 2021.

How will passengers be taken to the facility?

If flights land at Wellcamp Airport, passengers would disembark directly onto dedicated buses, and three minutes later they’d arrive at the accommodation facility.

Are there any restrictions to planes landing at Wellcamp Airport?

There was previous discussion that the lack of an air traffic control tower meant insurance policies would not allow airlines to regularly land at the airport. But leaked emails showed two of the largest international airline operators did not have an issue with the air traffic and fire safety infrastructure at the airport.

Who will be quarantined at the facility?

Arrivals from interstate will be flown directly into Wellcamp Airport, where they will complete 14 days of quarantine. If international flights cannot land in Brisbane, they will be transported via bus to the facility.

How many jobs will it create?

Construction of the facility will generate 400-450 jobs. There is no finalised number on how many staff will be needed to run the hub.

How will staffing situations work?

Staff will be required to work and stay on site during their shifts – two weeks on and two weeks off – to minimise the risk of transmission into the community.

Are there any similar quarantine hubs situated across Australia?

The Wagners proposal was modelled off the Howard Springs facility in the Northern Territory.

Who were the main opponents against the facility?

Some of the main opponents included Groom MP Garth Hamilton, who said just a few months ago the proposal should be considered dead. Prominent developer Clive Berghofer launched a petition against it, gaining thousands of signatures.

Why did the Federal Government not support the proposal?

The Federal Government has previously said that the facility does not meet “national guidelines”. The main issue Prime Minister Scott Morrison had with the idea was that the facility would not be situated near a major capital city with a major hospital.

Why has the State Government decided to build the facility now?

It seems to be no coincidence this decision has been announced just one day after the State Government called for a two-week pause on interstate arrivals heading into hotel quarantine. As capacity is reached, Queensland simply needs more beds for quarantine.

Will there be other quarantine sites situated in Queensland?

The Federal and State Governments have previously agreed to build a quarantine facility at Pinkenba, though construction is yet to begin.

How long will it last? What will happen to the facility once it is no longer required?

The State Government has agreed to a one-year lease of the facility. The Wagners have previously stated the facility would be dismantled once it was no longer required.

Will this replace hotel quarantine or complement it?

At the moment, it seems the facility will complement hotel quarantine. The Wagners will charge the same rate that travellers pay for hotel quarantine. Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said once the Pinkenba facility was built, there would be no more need for hotel quarantine.

Do you have another question? Email [e-mail].

Originally published as Quarantine hub Toowoomba: All your questions answered