Pinkenba decision blow to homeless

The Pinkenba Covid quarantine facility will be handed over to the Australian Federal Police instead of repurposed as temporary accommodation for Queensland’s homeless, it can be revealed.

Australian Finance Minister Katy Gallagher and Attorney General Mark Dreyfus on Thursday confirmed the site will be used as a dedicated training centre, with the AFP to officially take over the facility later this year.

The federal government will also provide additional funding to the AFP to help modify the site for police training.

It’s a major blow to Housing Minister Meaghan Scanlon, who boasted a $10m commitment to convert the empty 500-bed facility into emergency housing nearly a year ago in June when she took over the portfolio.

Housing bodies have slammed the decision.

In the wake of criticism, Premier Steven Miles appeared on Friday to be unfazed by the federal government’s decision to give the Pinkenba site to the AFP, saying it was simply out of his government’s hands.

“At the end of the day, it’s owned by the Australian government and how it gets used as a decision for the Australian government,” he said.

“We didn’t think this was a good site for a quarantine facility. And for some of the same reasons, it’s not an ideal site for a housing facility.”

The state’s peak housing body Q Shelter said it was a “shameful” result of ineffective government decision making.

Q Shelter executive director Fiona Caniglia said while the state government and Brisbane City Council had come to the table the federal government wasted valuable time.

“It is disappointing that 18 months have passed with no resolution to how the site could play its part to help people,” she said.