Queensland’s private quarantine hub to cost a third of national peers

The private developer behind Queensland’s go-it-alone regional quarantine hub has revealed the facility is expected to cost less than a third of its national peers,as the Commonwealth announced global construction firm Multiplex would deliver its preferred site in Brisbane.

But without federal approval for international passenger flights to land,the state has conceded it would need to bus travellers the two-hours there,raising eyebrows among the health sector along with the need to transport any COVID-positive patients by road or air back to the capital.

Thursday’s state government announcement,which has been telegraphed by senior members sinceformally ruled out by their federal counterparts in June,was not foreshadowed to Prime Minister Scott Morrison and evencaught some in the community off-guard.

It followed one day after Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk placed a two-week pause onarrivals from interstate hotspots NSW,Victoria and the ACT as the state’s hotel quarantine scheme became “stretched to the limit”.

The Howard Springs-style facility to be built by the Wagner Corporation near its Wellcamp Airport – about 15 kilometres west of Toowoomba,itself about 115 kilometres from Brisbane –would have 500 beds open by the end of the year and the full 1000 cabin-style beds by April.

The Commonwealth-backed Pinkenba site,near the Brisbane airport and dedicated COVID-19 hospitals,is expected to have only the first half of its 1000 beds online by the end of quarter one,2022.

After Ms Palaszczuk said only that the regional site would be cheaper than the federal government’s Pinkenba hub – being built by the Commonwealth but operated by the state – chairman John Wagner said on Friday it would cost “less than a third” of the Victorian and Darwin facilities set to run on a similar arrangement,also citing commercial confidentiality.

“We’re taking all the construction risk,and we’re taking the risk if,at the end of 12 months[initial lease period],the Queensland government no longer need a quarantine facility,” Mr Wagner told Nine’sToday program when asked about the cost to taxpayers.

“We have an alternate use for this facility. I think it’s a very low-risk thing for the Queensland taxpayer.”

Paul Clark,a senior executive at US construction giant AECOM,which built that 850-unit site in 2012 and carried out the feasibility study into the Pinkenba hub this year,said in February a Victorian camp could cost up to $170 million at a cost ofbetween $150,000 and $200,000 per unit.

In January,the federal government was reported to have set aside up to $243 million to cover costs incurred by the Northern Territory government at Howard Springs to December.

Western Australia’s new Commonwealth-funded centre isexpected to cost $400 million.

Responding to some concerns raised by Toowoomba mayor Paul Antonio and others about the proposal,Mr Wagner said Howard Springs had not sparked one local COVID-19 outbreak despite housing positive cases.

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Mater Health infectious diseases expert Paul Griffin,who has been tasked by the state to investigate a recent virus breach involving hotel quarantine and the Prince Charles Hospital,said any dedicated site would be better suited to quarantining returned travellers than hotels and the fact it was built for purpose should address any risk for nearby populations.

“It’s not insurmountable but of course if it’s built perfectly so that the risk is as controlled as possible,but the logistics of getting people to and from there aren’t as robust,then we’re kind of defeating the purpose,” Dr Griffin said.

Australian Medical Association Queensland president Chris Perry warned the local medical community needed to help guide how any regional quarantine hub would be supported.

In a statement,Professor Perry also said transporting COVID-positive patients to Brisbane by air magnified the risk of spreading the virus to health workers.

Speaking to media on Friday morning,Deputy Premier Steven Miles welcomed news from federal Finance Minister Simon Birmingham that Multiplex would deliver the Brisbane facility,on Defence land in Pinkenba,alongside its work onanother in Melbourne’s north.

“Between the two that will allow us to gradually phase down our reliance on hotel quarantine,” Mr Miles said.

Asked about any approaches made by her government to airlines about landing flights at the regional airport,which caters for overseas freight flights,Ms Palaszczuk said charter flights could land at any international airport.

“And like I said yesterday,if you build it,they will come.”

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