Josh Frydenberg ‘open’ to quarantine facility plans from states

Josh Frydenberg has taken aim at a ‘catastrophic failure’ in Victoria, but says he’s open to one proposal that could get stranded Aussies home.

The Treasurer is open to hearing ideas from states about new quarantine centres in a bid to avoid a repeat of Victoria’s “catastrophic failure”.

Addressing the National Press Club the day after delivering his third budget, Josh Frydenberg declared Australia was “well on the road to recovery” after being hit by an “economic meteor” in the form of COVID-19.

Pressed on Australia’s hotel quarantine system, Mr Frydenberg took aim the “catastrophic failure” leading to Victoria’s second wave, which killed 768 people.

“By and large, our quarantine system has been effective but for the events in Victoria, where there was a catastrophic failure. No-one wants to see a repeat of that,” he said.

The Treasurer acknowledged his home state had improved its systems since mid-last year, but said NSW had managed to avoid a statewide lockdown despite doing the “bulk of the heavy lifting” on quarantine.

“It is a credit, not just to their political leadership, but their quarantine system,” he said.

Victoria has asked the federal government to fund a new purpose-built, 500-bed quarantine hub.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg admits ‘the primary responsibility’ for quarantine has been resting with the states. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Gary Ramage

The facility, to be located north of Melbourne, would require a $200m investment from the federal government.

Victoria would run the hub and contribute $15m for design.

Mr Frydenberg confirmed the proposal, which he described as the “most comprehensive” put to Canberra, was being worked through by the federal government and would be responded to “in due course”.

He said the federal government would also consider proposals from elsewhere.

“Other states can propose whatever issues they see fit. We would consider them again in due course through the proper processes,” he said.

The federal budget allocated $5m to the Northern Territory’s federally-run Howard Springs facility, a figure dwarfed by $300m for an online health record.

But Mr Frydenberg rejected suggestions stranded Australians were not a priority, saying national cabinet had divided quarantine responsibilities among the states.

“Yes, we’ve got Howard Springs, but the primary responsibility had been resting with the states,” he said.

The treasurer lauded the JobKeeper scheme, loan deferrals and rent relief as measures that had kept businesses afloat during the onset of the pandemic.