The State Government’s silence on a potential Gympie COVID hub is insulting

14 community-based hubs across Queensland will be open by the end of July, but how come there remains absolutely no indication as to whether Gympie region residents will be given local access to one of these hubs or not?

Gympie people are in the dark over the State Government’s plans for a potential COVID vaccine hub in the region. Why aren’t they sharing?

Queensland Health’s – or the State Government’s – refusal to answer questions about whether or not Gympie would be among Queensland communities to receive a COVID vaccine hub is baffling, and frankly insulting.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and Health Minister Yvette D’Ath announced just this week that 14 community-based hubs across Queensland will be open by the end of July.

And yet there remains absolutely no indication as to whether Gympie region residents will be given local access to one of these hubs or not.

BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA – NewsWire Photos – MAY 26, 2021. Queensland Health Minister Yvette D'Ath speaks during Question Time at Parliament House. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

The Central Queensland University City Campus at Mackay, Bundaberg TAFE, Hervey Bay TAFE and Maryborough City Hall have been established as community hubs.

The joint statement said three more hubs will be stood up across South East Queensland in the coming weeks, and another seven will “progressively be opened”.

When pressed for clarification on whether the Gympie region would be a potential hub site, or to provide an alternative time frame in which residents could expect a hub to open, Queensland Health declined to answer.

Ignoring direct questions put to the department, a spokeswoman instead said “the Minister’s media release and press conference yesterday is the available information at this time”.

Really?

Where’s the transparency?

How hard is it to answer simple questions?

BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA – NewsWire Photos – MAY 26, 2021. Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk speaks during Question Time at Parliament House. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

There’s been months of conjecture about what site could be used for a Gympie hub, whether it’s the Civic Centre or the Showgrounds or wherever else, and even whether Gympie will have a hub at all.

There’s one clear solution to that conjecture: get on the front foot and share your information with the communities these hubs will undoubtedly affect one way or the other.

But Queensland Health doesn’t seem at all interested in sharing. and with ongoing fears the future of Gympie Hospital‘s paediatric ward could be in limbo, it’s not the only subject we’re being left in the dark over.

The saying goes that it’s better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt.

In this case the opposite seems to apply, because the Government is doing a good job looking foolish by staying quiet.

Originally published as The State Government’s silence on a potential Gympie COVID hub is insulting