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The federal government will fund construction of a purpose-built prefabricated quarantine hub in Victoria, but a site for the facility has not yet been chosen.
Victoria’s Acting Premier James Merlino said the state had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Commonwealth over the new centre.
The state government’s preference is for the new prefabricated quarantine hub to be built at Mickleham, but Avalon is also being discussed as a potential site
Following on online Zoom presentation by Chris Keating, Department of Premier and Cabinet, the following timelines were established:
According to tender documents, the Victorian project would create four “quarantine blocks” of 250 beds each, grouped into “suburbs” of 1,000 beds.
Each prefabricated quarantine hub would have its own entry and departure points, dubbed the red zone and the green zone, so newcomers did not cross paths with people who had completed their quarantine.
Covered walkways would allow staff to move around within each block, and each would have a separate staff and training area so workers from different blocks do not mix.
Each block would contain a number of individual “modules”, a range of single-storey, detached buildings, each with a covered balcony for fresh air and dedicated delivery and “swabbing zones”.
They would be built for a range of group sizes, from singles to couples and family groups. Modules closer to staff hubs and entry points would cater for the elderly and those with a disability.
An area would be set aside to isolate positive cases, though people who need more extensive medical care would be transferred to hospital.
The entire project, based on the Howard Springs facility in the Northern Territory, would be scalable up to 3,000 beds, depending on demand.
See quarantine hub presentation document here: www.tenders.vic.gov.au/tender/
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