The Queensland government is standing by its decision to build and maintain a multi-million dollar COVID-19 quarantine facility located around 145 kilometres west of the state’s biggest city, Brisbane, that has seen limited use since it was completed.
Just 700 people have been through the 1000-bed facility since it was opened in February, built at an estimated cost of $190 million (US$131 million), of which the state of Queensland is rumoured to have contributed A$48.8 million (US$33.66 million).
Steven Miles, the Deputy Premier of Queensland, said funds were used to terminate contracts and pay outstanding invoices.
“So the vast bulk of that amount was associated with the wind-down of the hotel quarantine program,” Miles told reporters on July 24….