The Queensland Regional Accommodation Centre at Wellcamp is ready for its first visitors — unvaccinated international arrivals required to quarantine as well as people who require suitable isolation accommodation.
To coincide with the opening, a new Commissioner has been appointed in charge of Quarantine.
Deputy Premier and Minister for State Development, Steven Miles said the facility was ready to support Queensland’s response to the Omicron wave of COVID-19.
“With Wellcamp coming online, we have added a purpose-built facility to our options for providing safe and secure accommodation, significantly reducing reliance on hotel quarantine,” Mr Miles said.
“There are currently hundreds of people who are required to isolate but cannot isolate at home — travellers who test positive but do not have a home in Queensland, homeless and vulnerable Queenslanders, and those without a suitable home to quarantine in, including those with vulnerable household members,” he said.
Mr Miles said this number would likely increase through the peak of the Omicron wave and there would be a continuing need for suitable isolation accommodation.
“The facility’s first stage of accommodation modules, offering 500 beds and operational buildings and facilities, has been built and commissioned,” he said.
“Our strategy for Queensland’s broader COVID-19 response will continue to be informed by disease modelling and Wellcamp will be here for us when it’s needed.”
The Minister said the centre would offer future non-quarantine uses to benefit the local region, including accommodation for visitors, construction and agricultural workers, and students.
“I’m also pleased to announce that Queensland Fire and Emergency Services Assistant Commissioner, Joanne Greenfield has accepted the role of Commissioner, Quarantine Management Taskforce,” the Minister said.
“Joanne has been working on the quarantine program since the beginning of the pandemic and brings an extensive background in leading large-scale operations in complex environments, both in Queensland as well as internationally, in a range of disasters, including in the health sector,” Mr Miles said.
