Queensland’s Deputy Premier has revealed it cost the state government about $150 million to lease the controversial Wellcamp quarantine facility on the Darling Downs.
Key points:
- The Deputy Premier says with increased vaccination coverage the facility is no longer needed
- Since opening in February, 730 people have been quarantined at the facility
- Mr Miles defended how long its taken the government to disclose the lease costs
The details of the secret deal were revealed in a budget estimates hearing at Parliament today, with the total capital and leasing costs for the center amounting to $198.5 million.
Steven Miles said the Wellcamp facility would not be needed for COVID quarantine beyond August this year.
“With increased vaccination coverage and community acceptance of COVID-19, the need for dedicated isolation facilities or for any contingency capacity to have been held has decreased,” he said.
“The QRAC (Queensland Regional Accommodation Centre) will be placed in care and maintenance under similar arrangements to those in Howard Springs in the Northern Territory.
“It will cease hosting guests from August 1 but will remain available should the pandemic response settings change.”
Since opening to guests on February 5 this year, 730 people have been quarantined or isolated at the Wellcamp facility.
He said he had advised the federal government the quarantine facility being built at Pinkenba also would not be required given there was no longer a need for it.
Earlier this year, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk confirmed the state had contributed $48.8 million to help build the Wellcamp facility, which is privately owned by the Wagner Corporation.
The state government signed a 12-month lease to use the 1,000 bed facility for COVID quarantine with the total cost to operate and lease the center unknown until today after the government cited commercial reasons for not releasing the costs.
The government also paid an additional $9 million to Compass Group up to June 30 for the facility’s management that covered services like catering, cleaning and security.
At an estimates hearing yesterday, Acting Auditor-General Karen Johnson confirmed the Queensland Audit Office (QAO) was continuing to look at the costs and contracts related to the facility after receiving a request from Deputy LNP leader Jarrod Bleijie in February.
Mr Miles defended how long it took the government to disclose the lease costs.
“The LNP have struggled to understand this but for the Wagners to get the best deal with their suppliers it would have been detrimental to disclose the entire costs at the outset,” he said.
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