Clive Berghofer’s petition calling on the State Government to scrap quarantine hub closing on Monday

There are just three more days for people to sign Clive Berghofer’s parliamentary petition calling on the State Government to abandon the Wellcamp quarantine hub proposal.

Clive Berghofer’s petition calling on the State Government to scrap its proposal for a COVID-19 quarantine hub at Wellcamp Airport is just shy of 5000 signatures with three days remaining before it closes.

The petition was launched on February 18, with Mr Berghofer stepping up to lead the fight against the proposed facility.

The developer and philanthropist said there were probably another “couple of thousand signatures” on hard copy petitions that were being circulated around Toowoomba as well.

Zimms Corner Service Station owner Olga Marr on Thursday handed over 855 signatures against the Wellcamp proposal, collected from her customers.

Zimms Corner Service Station owner Olga Marr with Clive Berghofer.

The population of Toowoomba in the 2016 Census was roughly 130,000.

Mr Berghofer said he was constantly fielding calls from people who were worried about the impact a quarantine hub would have on Toowoomba.

The Wagners, who put their proposal to build and run the facility to the State Government in January, believe it can be done safely.

“When you see what’s happened with Brisbane, now, that can happen in Toowoomba,” Mr Berghofer said, referring to recent COVID-19 outbreaks.

“Imagine if Toowoomba had a lockdown again. We’ve got this vaccine coming out – how good its going to be has got to be proved, and only a percentage of people will get the vaccine at the moment.

“And when you see what's happening up at (Papua New Guinea) – Cairns has got a problem. Toowoomba people are very much against it. Brisbane wants to get the monkey off their back.”

Mr Berghofer said there had been people signing the petition from right around the area – Dalby, Kingaroy, Gatton, Grantham – wherever.

“(Toowoomba is) still their service centre and they don’t want to see us locked down.”

You can sign the parliamentary petition here.