A half-billion dollar COVID-19 quarantine facility in Melbourne’s north will be closed after just eight months in operation following a drop in demand.
The Centre for National Resilience in Mickleham opened in February to house international travellers, frontline workers and Victorian community members, but housed just 2,168 residents.
It equates to a cost of more than $267,000 per resident during the quarantine hub’s life span.
The government said a decrease in COVID cases across the state had led to a drop in demand for quarantine accommodation at the site.
The facility will close next week, with a small number of staff working to shut down the site until it is handed back to the federal government at the beginning of next year.
Police Minister Anthony Carbines defended the facility’s usefulness and said it would continue to be of use during future emergencies.
“The Victorian Quarantine Hub has served its purpose in keeping Victorians safe from COVID-19. Its closure is another step in our recovery from the pandemic,” Mr Carbines said.
“Australia needed these facilities before the pandemic first hit – but this important facility now exists as an insurance policy in the event of a future pandemic, or to provide accommodation in emergencies like natural disasters.”
Source: ABC .com