PM SLAMS COVID HUB PROPOSAL

State proposal ‘hasn’t been stacking up’ against Victorian Government pitch

PRIME Minister Scott Morrison has slammed the Queensland Government’s quarantine hub proposal in Toowoomba, saying its pitch “hasn’t been stacking up”.

In a press conference in Brisbane yesterday morning, Mr Morrison said the State Government’s details were “chalk and cheese” when compared to a similar proposal from the Victorian Government.

“It’s reasonable to say it hasn’t been stacking up very well, particularly when you compare to it to a very comprehensive and very well thought through proposal from the Victorian Government,” he said.

In April Victorian Premier Dan Andrews announced plans for a $15 million 500-bed quarantine facility at Mickleham in Melbourne’s north.

Mr Morrison said the biggest problem with the Toowoomba proposal was its distance from a major capital city.

“The biggest difficulty with that proposal is it isn’t near a major capital city where there’s a major hospital. That’s the big problem with it amongst many others,” he said.

“The idea you can put these out in the desert somewhere, and I know Toowoomba is not the desert, but the point being they need to be close to major capital city airports.

“The planes aren’t going somewhere else – they’re coming into Brisbane. That is a very long trek.”

International flights can land at Wellcamp Airport, but the State Government has previously said it was still awaiting an answer on whether overseas planes could land there.

“The Queensland Government stands willing to work with the Federal Government to make regional quarantine a reality,” a spokesman for Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said in April.

“We’re not out of the woods yet. Until our entire population is vaccinated, there is a real and present danger that

COVID could get into our community.

“Let’s have an open and transparent discussion.”

The State Government first floated the idea of a quarantine hub at Wellcamp back in January.

The 1000-bed facility would be built by the Wagner family.

Groom MP Garth Hamilton previously told The Chronicle he believed the idea was off the table, after Chief Medical Officer Professor Paul Kelly said the government currently had “no plans” to look at alternative facilities to hotel quarantine.

“As far as I’m concerned, this is the end of the quarantine centre,” Mr Hamilton said.

“Whether the Premier likes it or not, it’s over.”

Toowoomba property developer Clive Berghofer launched a petition against the quarantine proposal.

It attracted more than 8000 signatures.