No coronavirus camp for us, says Gladstone

Annastacia Palaszczuk’s hopes to quarantine overseas arrivals at a regional workers camp has been dealt a blow with the local mayor saying his community is against the idea.

Annastacia Palaszczuk with Gladstone Mayor Matt Burnett in October last year. Picture: Dan Peled

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s hopes to quarantine overseas arrivals at a regional workers camp has been dealt a blow with the local mayor saying his community is against the idea.

In a letter on Monday to Ms Palaszczuk and the Prime Minister, Gladstone Mayor Matt Burnett wrote that the proposal to use the 1392-room Homeground mining camp in Calliope was too risky.

The camp, 20 minutes drive west of Gladstone, and a yet-to-be-built, purpose-designed facility in Toowoomba are the two sites flagged as alternatives for hotel quarantine in Queensland.

Last month, Ms Palaszczuk confirmed that the government was considering the proposal after a cleaner at a quarantine hotel in Brisbane was infected with the highly contagious UK variant of the virus, prompting a three-day lockdown.

Cr Burnett had previously raised concerns, but in his letter he said that after canvassing the proposal he wanted to inform both leaders that it “is not supported by the local community”.

“I have personally kept an open mind on this proposal as myself and my fellow Councillors await your response to our concerns,” he said.

“However, during the past two weeks our community has expressed its views on the matter and has made its opposition clear. The potential for an increased risk of community transmission locally, and the shutdown of our industrial economy that could cause, as well as the lack of appropriate medical services, are concerns shared by many in the region.”

Cr Burnett said he hoped his community’s concerns would be taken into consideration.

National cabinet on Friday was expected to again discuss the issue, with Queensland government bureaucrats submitting a detailed brief on the proposal to federal counterparts last week.

Scott Morrison initially said he was open to the idea. But his position changed during a visit to the region in mid-January, and after meetings with Cr Burnett and Flynn Liberal National Party MP Ken O’Dowd.

An investigation into the breach of hotel quarantine that sparked the proposal is expected to be made public later this week.

Construction company Wagners, which built the Wellcamp airport west of Toowoomba, has also proposed to build a 1000-room quarantine camp close to the airport.

The camp will be purpose built as a COVID-19 quarantine camp, with international flights landing at the Wellcamp airport and passengers transported by bus to the proposed quarantine facility.

On Monday, Queensland Health said the proportion of international passengers that are testing positive to the virus had skyrocketed in recent months.