Merlino names Mickleham pet complex as state’s preferred alternative hotel quarantine site

A pet quarantine facility more than 40 kilometres north of Melbourne’s CBD has been announced as the site of Victoria’s alternative quarantine accommodation for returning overseas travellers.

Acting Premier James Merlino announced Victoria would invest $15 million in design work for a 500-bed quarantine facility on Donnybrook Road in Mickleham. However, the project is dependent on Commonwealth funding and a final decision on whether to go ahead would not be made until September, Mr Merlino said.

Mr Merlino refused to commit funds for the 500-bed complex, and said the Commonwealth should pay for the project, as quarantine was constitutionally a federal government responsibility.

However, on February 16 while announcing a purpose-built accommodation hub, Premier Daniel Andrews vowed to go one step further. “It’s more than just scoping it, we are going to get on and build a facility,” he said.

Victoria sent its business case to the Commonwealth at 9.42am, just minutes before Mr Merlino’s press conference.

“We’ve got a delayed rollout of the Commonwealth vaccine program, we’ve got a dire situation in other parts of the world,” Mr Merlino said.

The quarantine facility would be based on the Howard Springs facility in the Northern Territory.

“We just don’t know at this stage how this year will play out. And the announcement we’re making today ... is about providing Victoria and our nation with options – options we can take up to make our community safer.”

The new quarantine hub would be designed with portable cabins and be able to accommodate 500 passengers at any one time, with the ability to scale up to 3000 beds within 22 months.

The cost of constructing the complex would total $200 million, and a 3000-bed facility would cost up to $700 million.

The Andrews government expects travellers to be subject to quarantine upon arrival in Australia for the next two to three years, according to the business case, which also revealed the maximum number of people Victoria had considered accepting was 2100 per week.

Mr Merlino said the federal government should build the facility and own it, similar to the Howard Springs facility in the Northern Territory.

“Ultimately this project requires the approval of the Commonwealth,” he said. “The best time to start an alternative quarantine was 12 months ago, the next best time is now.”

State government departments will undertake the four-month design work while the Morrison government considers the proposal, which, if approved, could be constructed by the end of the year.

A well-placed source aware of the quarantine facility planning, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the talks were private, said state officials had said throughout the negotiations that the Victorian government would probably pay for the capital and operating costs of the facility.

The Victorian government has provided renders of what the new facility could look like.

“It’s just bizarre,” the source said.

If the Commonwealth rejects the Mickleham proposal, the state would then investigate whether the facility could be built near the Avalon airport. The Commonwealth will also be asked to pay for construction for the Avalon proposal, Mr Merlino said.

A federal government spokesperson said the Commonwealth had worked with states and territories throughout the pandemic.

“The Victorian government has submitted a highly detailed proposal for a possible quarantine facility in Melbourne. Our officials will now review that information and undertake the relevant assessments,” they said.

The Mickleham site is a 25-minute drive from Melbourne Airport, next to the Hume Highway. The site was chosen based on its proximity to the airport, hospitals, the CBD and health hotels, in addition to having access to services and a workforce.

The nominated space is Commonwealth land, next to the existing Mickleham Post Entry Quarantine facility which is used by the federal Agriculture Department to quarantine animals – currently housing cats, dogs, horses, birds and bees for a minimum of 10 days after they arrive in the country.

“I would expect the Commonwealth will examine the proposal that has been sent through, and they’ll give us a pretty early indication whether Donnybrook Road is appropriate from the Commonwealth’s perspective – if not, then we’ll transition to an alternative,” Mr Merlino said.

“But we’re very firmly putting the case ... we think that’s the best location.”

Opposition Leader Michael O’Brien described the government’s announcement as a “hoax”.

“It’s not an announcement at all,” Mr O’Brien said. “This state government, they’re being as sly as a fox.

“They’ve simply said they want the federal government to build a quarantine facility on federal land with federal money. That’s not a state government announcement, that’s just getting out there with a begging bowl.”

Hume City Council has requested an urgent meeting with the state government about its proposal for a quarantine facility in Mickleham, one of the city’s fastest growing suburbs.

“Council has not been consulted on the proposal prior to today’s announcement and seeks clarification about the ongoing management of the facility,” mayor Joseph Haweil said.

“Our community is concerned about what impact a centre of this size and type will have on their health and safety and the amenity of the area.”

Mr Merlino said final decisions on Victoria’s quarantine program won’t be made until September when the design works for the complex are completed and will depend on the coronavirus situation locally and globally.

“It may be that we only need those 500 beds, it may be that we need a hybrid facility, with the alternative quarantine hub for, say, high-risk individuals and hotel quarantine or health hotels for others,” the acting Premier said.

Once the threat of the coronavirus pandemic has passed, the facility could be used as emergency accommodation during fires and floods, to house people experiencing homelessness and family violence victims, Mr Merlino said.

The announcement comes three months after the Premier’s department commissioned US construction giant AECOM to assess 10 locations and prepare reports for state cabinet.

The Department of Premier and Cabinet said the business case was developed based on the assumption of the ongoing need to accommodate up to 2100 arrivals per week, which was selected as the maximum weekly arrival cap that Victoria has ever considered.

“It is noted that this number does not reflect a government decision to accept this number of arrivals, and that all decisions regarding passenger arrivals cap are subject to agreement between the Victorian and Australian governments.”

The current hotel quarantine program would cost $3.5 billion for the next three years, the department noted.

A Victorian delegation also went on a research mission to Howard Springs in the Northern Territory which is being used to quarantine incoming passengers.

On February 16, Mr Andrews announced Victoria’s intention to build cabin-style quarantine after repeated leaks of COVID-19 from hotel quarantine. Outbreaks have also occurred from hotel quarantine in Perth, Adelaide, Sydney and Brisbane.

The government narrowed down the options to a list of 10 preferred sites that included Avalon Airport, a youth jail site in Cherry Creek in Melbourne’s western suburbs, land in the Melbourne Airport Commercial Precinct, Keilor North near the Melbourne Airport precinct, Epping near the Melbourne wholesale food market, Diggers Rest, Attwood, Avalon Airport precinct, Lara near Barwon Prison and another Keilor North site that is part of the Sydenham Park masterplan earmarked for future recreation and commercial use.

With Michael Fowler and Paul Sakkal

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