Hub reaches next stage
MAJOR earthworks will start this week on the 1000-bed quarantine facility outside Toowoomba, with contractor Wagner Corporation confident of delivering the project on time.
Chairman John Wagner said detailed designs for the new hub at Wellcamp have been finished following talks between the company and Queensland Health.
Mr Wagner said work had well and truly begun both offsite, while construction at the actual premises is to ramp up over the coming days.
“We’re pretty well finalised the detail design, we’ll start serious earthworks this week and we’re on track to do what we said we’ll do,” he said.
The controversial project, which will be modelled on the successful facility at Howard Springs in the Northern Territory, was announced by Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk last month.
Mr Wagner said along with offering a safer alternative to hotel quarantine, the project would create hundreds of jobs during construction and operation.
“The job creation aspect is massive, we’re out recruiting a bunch of people to build this thing with us,” he said.
“There are a number of people inquiring about being involved in the project.
“We’ve got overwhelming support from the community to get involved, so we’ve just got to make sure we deliver it on time and on budget.”
The first 500 beds at the facility are slated to be available for use before the end of the year.