Victoria’s Covid quarantine facility in Mickleham to shut its doors after just eight months

As Covid case numbers fall, the Andrews government is set to close Victoria’s purpose-built Covid quarantine facility in a move slammed by the opposition as “just lazy”.

Victoria’s purpose-built quarantine facility will abruptly close just eight months after opening, sparking denials the half-a-billion dollar project was a “white elephant”.

The controversial hub built in Mickelham, 30km north of Melbourne, has only housed 2168 residents since it opened in February this year.

It will close next week and be handed back to the federal government, which owns the site, on January 1.

While the commonwealth funded the construction of the $580m Centre for National Resilience, Victorian taxpayers have been footing the bill for the site’s ongoing running costs while it was leased as a quarantine facility.

The Andrews government would not confirm how much had been spent on operational costs so far, with $120.3m originally set aside for the Covid Quarantine Victoria program – charged with running the facility – throughout the 2022-23 period.

Police Minister Anthony Carbines says the Victorian Quarantine Hub has served its purpose in keeping Victorians safe from Covid. Picture: Alison Wynd

But the Herald Sun understands costs are set to be significantly less than originally thought due to the centre shutting early and being scaled down to 25 per cent capacity in July.

The former Morrison government agreed to fund construction of the now-defunct facility after extreme pressure during the early vaccine rollout, with senior Coalition MPs initially scathing of the proposal given it would only open two years into the pandemic.

Then-defence minister Peter Dutton dismissed it as “smoke and mirrors” to cover for Victoria’s botched handling of hotel quarantine.

Since quarantine requirements for international arrivals were scrapped, the facility has provided accommodation to Victorians needing a place to isolate safely with Covid.

But with falling local infections and isolation mandates slashed, demand for places at the site had declined.

Opposition health spokeswoman Georgie Crozier says the decision to close the facility demonstrated a ‘total contempt for taxpayer money’. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

The state government maintained the decision to close the site was “consistent” with similar facilities around Australia.

Premier Daniel Andrews has long maintained the site was not a “white elephant” and should instead be viewed as an “insurance policy”.

But the state opposition, who recently pledged to temporarily repurpose the facility for hospital patients, slammed the decision.

Opposition health spokeswoman Georgie Crozier said the decision to fully shut the site demonstrated Mr Andrews’ “total contempt for taxpayer money”.

Ms Crozier said the state government “arrogantly slapped a padlock on the front gate” rather than listening to “positive ideas to better utilise this facility”.

“Putting a padlock on Mickleham is just lazy – this facility could be used to house bed blockers or vulnerable Victorians needing crisis accommodation and more,” she said.

“A Liberals and Nationals government will not let this facility go to waste and will immediately explore relocating bed blockers to this facility to help fix the health crisis.”

Police Minister Anthony Carbines said the Victorian Quarantine Hub had served its purpose in keeping Victorians safe during the pandemic.

“Its closure is another step in our recovery from the pandemic,” he said.

“Australia needed these facilities before the pandemic first hit – but this important facility now exists as an insurance policy in the event of a future pandemic, or to provide accommodation in emergencies like natural disasters.”