Centre for National Resilience: Mickleham Quarantine Facility Centre for National Resilience: Mickleham Quarantine Facility

The Centre for National Resilience in Mickleham is a 1000-bed accommodation / quarantine site for returning travellers.

Melbourne's Centre for National Resilience will open to returning travellers in late 2021.

All returning Australians are required to undertake 14 days of mandatory supervised quarantine at their own cost.

Map (above): is for Mickleham Post Entry Quarantine Facility located nearby

Construction - August 2021

Construction has started on Melbourne's Centre for National Resilience - the unwieldy name given to the new quarantine facility in Mickleham - with the camp scheduled to open by the end of 2021.

A community engagement session was held last week on progress of the fast-tracked 1000-bed accommodation site for returning travellers, however residents were told that builders would not be delayed by any consultation process.

Earthworks have begun at an empty paddock in Melbourne's north, which sits next to the federal government's pet quarantine facility and is about 300 metres from homes.

The project is being modelled on the Howard Springs centre in the Northern Territory, which has proven to be highly effective at preventing leaks of COVID-19 into the community compared to hotel quarantine.

Multiplex has been engaged to construct the facility, with 80 per cent of the buildings to be prefabricated off-site . The centre can be extended to 3000 beds but will be operational as soon as 500 are ready later this year.

Among the issues raised by the public at an information session on Thursday were questions about the impact on real estate prices, the threat of the virus escaping into the community and why residents were only receiving information about the project now.

Locals were assured the facility would follow the highest infectioncontrol standards set by Howard Springs, with staff fully vaccinated and unable to work second jobs.

On Friday, Premier Daniel Andrews was asked why the community had not been given the chance to give feedback on the centre.

" We want the community to know what's going on there, we want the community to be part of that program and that process,'' he said. " But we've got to get this built. There's much greater risk to people across Victoria, Mickleham included, by having thousands of people in hotels that are not built to quarantine them.

" That's the site that's been chosen and everyone, including locals, will be better off because of that.''

The centre is being built on Commonwealth land and construction costs will be funded by the federal government, with the Victorian government to run the facility.

The site was chosen by the federal government after it was presented by the state government with two preferred options: Mickleham and Avalon Airport.

The size of the property, its proximity to an airport and the location of medical facilities were among the primary considerations for finding a suitable location.

Hume City Council mayor Joseph Haweil said the facility was not following a full consultation process if people were unable to oppose it.

" I would say it's less being consulted, more being informed,'' he said.

Another concern raised by residents was the potential impact on traffic , with surrounding roads often choked by cars due to an influx of new housing.

Cr Haweil said the community was entitled to be rewarded with infrastructure funding if it was going to do the heavy lifting of quarantining travellers.

" That contribution should be recognised,'' he said.

This article by Tom Cowie is from the August 15, 2021 issue of The Age Digital Edition. To subscribe, visit "https://www.theage.com.au".

Is the Mickleham quarantine facility a white elephant? - October 2021



Victoria's purpose-built $200 million quarantine facility still has a role to play in the pandemic, experts say, however it won't be as crucial as anticipated due to high case numbers and vaccination rates.

The Mickleham "centre for national resilience" for incoming travellers won't be ready until the end of the year, however there is a risk it may become a white elephant if Victoria relaxes quarantine rules.

NSW's move to effectively end quarantine for most travellers by opening international borders to those who are vaccinated from November 1 has raised questions over the purpose of the facility being built in Melbourne's north.

The state government has committed to finish building the centre, which could be used to house people fleeing disasters once the pandemic is over. It is being funded by the federal government.

While most travellers will avoid it, the quarantine camp is likely to still have a use for unvaccinated people and those who come from high-risk countries, University of Melbourne epidemiologist Dr Driss Ait Ouakrim said.

There also remains the threat of another variant being introduced from overseas, as happened with Delta.

"They [quarantine centres] are slightly less critical when there is significant virus in the community," he said.

"That's the paradox where we are now, it took a lot of time for governments to accept the fact we needed to improve quarantine but the conversation has moved on since then.

"COVID zero has moved on, and we are left with these facilities now."

Just a few months ago, quarantine was seen as one of the key weapons in stopping an outbreak.

When the state government announced the site of the facility in late April after protracted discussions with the federal government, Victoria had not recorded a day of double-digit COVID infections in nearly five months. Keeping the virus at bay through tough border controls and lockdowns where necessary was still the plan.

The arrival of the Delta variant and the end of the "COVID zero" policy has changed all of that.

As part of its road map to easing restrictions, Victoria could open its international borders to returning citizens and residents within weeks.

Under the plan, travel will be allowed with "revised quarantine arrangements" when 80 per cent of people aged over 16 are fully vaccinated.

The next step would be reached when 80 per cent of people aged over 12 are fully vaccinated At that point, Victoria follows the "national plan" of quarantine for high-risk inbound travel only.

Dr Ait Ouakrim has researched the effectiveness of Australia's hotel quarantine system, which had several outbreaks leading to lockdowns.

"Purpose-built facilities still have a role to play because the pandemic is still uncontrolled in many parts of the world," he said.

Professor Gregory Dore, an epidemiologist at the UNSW Kirby Institute, said quarantine would probably be phased out for most vaccinated travellers by next year.

"The question is what will happen in 2022? Will there be requirements for anyone to quarantine once there are cases throughout Australia and we have very high vaccination coverage?" he said.

"If you look at the international experience, the answer has to be no. Most countries in Europe now, their requirements are the same as those being put in place in NSW."

The rules might be different Western Australia and Queensland, however, with both states still pursuing elimination of COVID and also building quarantine facilities.

"At least over the coming months, if Victoria follows NSW, it [the Mickleham facility] has a much more limited role than many people envisaged," he said.

On Friday, Health Minister Martin Foley said the state government was committed to pushing ahead with the new quarantine centre.

"Oh absolutely, [it] will be needed for quite some time," he said.

"As we get into 2022, we will see people from around the globe wanting to return to Australia, some from very high-risk countries."

Construction of the facility began in August, with the first 250 beds expected to be open by the start of next year. There is scope to expand the site to 500 and 1000 beds.

Is the Mickleham quarantine facility a $200 million white elephant?
By Tom Cowie | theage.com.au
October 16, 2021

❊ Address ❊

 ⊜  135 Donnybrook Rd,  Mickleham  View Map

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❊ Web Links ❊

➼ Centre for National Resilience: Mickleham Quarantine Facility 

❊ Also See... ❊

➼ Avalon Airport

➼ Mickleham Post Entry Quarantine Facility - Animals






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