Pinkenba Archives - Page 2 of 2

Unfinished Pinkenba Quarantine Facility Proposed for Transformation as Housing for DV Victims

A proposal has been raised to transform the unfinished Pinkenba quarantine facility into a dedicated crisis housing complex for women and children who are victims of domestic violence.

In July 2022, the Queensland government announced that the Pinkenba quarantine facility will no longer be required for COVID-19 amidst its delayed opening. The pandemic Wellcamp facility, which opened in February and housed over 700 individuals in the course of six months, has also been ordered closed as of 1 Aug 2022.

Given these changes, Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said that there is now an “opportunity to step-up and ensure their Pinkenba quarantine facility becomes a valuable asset rather than a white elephant.”

The Federal Government owns the site, which was originally set to open in 2021 with an initial 500 beds and was also due for a handover to the State Government in March. Delays due to inclement weather pushed back its opening but the completion date of the facility has not yet been announced.

Mr Schrinner said that a number of organisations that have the expertise in crisis housing may run the site on behalf of the government. However, Micah Projects chief executive Karyn Walsh said that the Pinkenba quarantine facility won’t be a quick fix.

Pinkenba Quarantine Facility — Wellcamp Quarantine Facility
Photo Credit: QueenslandGovt

Whilst Ms Walsh backs the mayor’s idea, she said housing accommodation for domestic violence victims should be planned by the right people. She said DV victims will need to have the “security of housing” where the location is near support services as opposed to a quarantine facility in a well-known site.

The quarantine facility was also mainly built for infection control and prevention, supporting the health systems and humanitarian efforts of the government.

A spokesperson for the Federal Government’s Finance Minister and Minister for Women Katy Gallagher said that the $400 million site may instead have future uses for health and emergency situations or as a temporary crisis accommodation following a natural disaster and similar events.

Quarantine facilities in Victoria and Perth have had similar problems and are now vacant or have yet to open.

New Brisbane International Cruise Terminal in Pinkenba To Welcome First Vessels After 2-Year Pause

The new Brisbane International Cruise Terminal in Pinkenba is preparing to welcome the first cruise passengers to use the facilities, as cruising activities restart after a two-year pause.

The Pinkenba facility was raring to establish Queensland as the country’s cruise ship capital when the $180-million development of the Brisbane International Cruise Terminal finished in early 2020. However, due to border closures, not a single cruise ship docked at the state-of-the-art facility.

But as the Federal Government announced, the ban on cruises will be lifted by 17 April 2022, consistent with the reopening of Australia’s international borders. Port of Brisbane Pty Ltd, the operators of the Pinkenba site, also confirmed that the terminal will open on 2 June 2022.

Port of Brisbane CEO Neil Stephens said that they are finalising the health protocols before the terminal is expected to welcome P&O’s Pacific Explorer as the first cruise ship to arrive in Queensland.

Mr Stephens welcomes the restart as it’s a much-needed boost for the state’s tourism industry. It will also provide more jobs for Queenslanders.

Dan Tehan, the Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, on the other hand, said that this was an important milestone in Australia’s response to COVID-19.

“This is great news for the cruise industry, tourism, the broader economy and the Australians who love to take a cruise holiday,” Mr Tehan said.

“The resumption of cruising is another key step forward in the tourism sector’s recovery from COVID-19.

“We look forward to welcoming cruise ships and passengers back to Australian waters.”

For details about the cruise terminal, visit its official FAQs page.

Questions Remain Over Pinkenba Quarantine Hub as Queensland Wellcamp Facility Welcomes First Arrivals

As Queensland welcomed the first unvaccinated occupants at the Wellcamp facility in Toowoomba, some questions remain about the status of the Pinkenba quarantine hub that was supposed to be built for the same purpose.

In August 2021, the Federal Government signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop a section of Damascus Barracks in Pinkenba as a purpose-built quarantine facility for travellers arriving in Brisbane. The site was chosen due to its proximity to the Brisbane International Airport and the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, removing the pressure off the hands of quarantine hotels around the city so they could resume normal operations.

But the Wellcamp facility, also known as the Queensland Regional Accommodation Centre, was also built by the State Government earlier than the Pinkenba site and has officially opened in the first week of February 2022. During the press conference to confirm the arrival of its first occupants, Deputy Premier Steven Miles did not have any concrete updates on the Pinkenba quarantine facility.

This site has a one-year lease with an option with its private landlords that could be extended to three years. Currently, some 500 beds have been prepared for the occupants, which are a mix of tourists, workers and students, but another 500 beds are expected to be ready by April.

The projections for the number of beds were based on the number of individuals quarantined at hotels, both vaccinated or unvaccinated. However, as of February 2022, Queensland has lifted the quarantine requirements for vaccinated arrivals, which means there would be fewer beds needed at Wellcamp.

The Pinkenba site, on the other hand, is projected to start construction in mid-2022 and thus not yet ready to take in arrivals to Brisbane.

Since the Pinkenba site’s land is owned by the government, it may remain as a quarantine hub or a disaster management facility for future use. Federal sources also said it may also be repurposed as a temporary housing village for the refugees.

“Whilst it will be used for any ongoing quarantine requirements during the COVID-19 pandemic, it will also be there in the years to come to support responses to natural disasters or other crises,” Federal Finance Minister Simon Birmingham said.

“Unlike state proposals, the Pinkenba site is appropriately close to Brisbane International Airport and all necessary medical facilities, including three major hospitals.

“Multiplex is making strong progress in its work to deliver a similar purpose-built quarantine facility in Victoria, and I am pleased that we will be able to draw on their experience and expertise to deliver this centre in Queensland.”

Plans to be Drafted for Pinkenba COVID-19 Quarantine Facility

A COVID-19 quarantine facility for travellers coming to Queensland has been earmarked for Pinkenba with infrastructure consultancy group AECOM assigned to draft and develop the plans to accommodate at least 1,450 people.

The project’s construction will be funded by the Commonwealth but managed from day to day by the State Government. Federal Finance Minister Simon Birmingham said that the Pinkenba site was chosen because of its proximity to Brisbane’s international airport and at least four major hospitals.

The proposed site, the Damascus Barracks, which spans 35 hectares, is owned by the Commonwealth and has been used as a storage for the Department of Defence. The Federal Government hopes to begin construction by the end of 2021, alongside a similar proposal for Victoria’s quarantine facility.

A feasibility study for the Pinkenba facility has started to help both Commonwealth and State determine the size of the operation.

Photo Credit: Ozatwar/Australian Government

However, the Queensland Government is also pushing to build a Wellness Camp in Toowoomba, which could be built in two months, ahead of the Pinkenba site. Prime Minister Scott Morrison expressed hesitation for the Toowoomba facility as it does not meet the criteria for quarantine sites, which should be built on Commonwealth-owned land.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said that if both sites will be up and running, there will be no more need for hotel quarantines, the current system in place for travellers going into Queensland.

As of 14 July, Queensland has five new cases acquired overseas and detected in hotel quarantine. The national cabinet has also cut down the cap for international arrivals to Australia to 3,000, which has the support of Ms Palaszczuk. The cap could remain in place for the rest of the year.