Mettam slams Busselton quarantine facility idea

Vasse MLA Libby Mettam has slammed comments made by the WA premier this week where he claimed dedicated quarantine facilities in Busselton or Exmouth would “obviously make sense”. In a press conference, Mr McGowan said fit-for-purpose quarantine hubs would work well near “international capacity airports” in the two regional towns. The news came after it was reported on Tuesday that a returned traveller staying at the Pan Pacific Hotel caught COVID-19 from an infected man in the room next door. Ms Mettam dubbed the premier’s comments a “political stunt” “This is ... to deflect attention from his own failings in hotel quarantine,” she said. “We support dedicated alternative quarantine facilities – but it should follow health advice. It is the second time since April that transmission of the disease has taken place within the Pan Pacific after a security guard caught the virus at work and passed it on to two of his Nollamara housemates. That same month, Perth and Peel were plunged into a three-day lockdown after several overseas travellers contracted COVID-19 while staying at the now Mercure Hotel. Ms Mettam said the WA Government would need to ensure communities required to host such facilities had the frontline health services, infrastructure, and funding to support one. “The McGowan Government doesn’t have a great track record in providing regional communities with this kind of funding,” she said. Ms Mettam was glad the Premier identified the potential of the Busselton Margaret River Airport but questioned how it could support international arrivals without a proper terminal after funding for the upgrade was withdrawn by the McGowan Government last year. In his comments, Mr McGowan called on the Commonwealth Government to pay for the facilities as the WA Government establish a Quarantine Advisory Panel to explore options outside of CBD hotels. “Unless the Commonwealth wants to go and build something in Exmouth or Busselton next to a major international airport ... there's no easy alternatives. “There are airports there that have international capacity. “It would obviously make some sense to put a facility next to an international capacity airport. “We have one at Exmouth, we have one at Busselton. There is obviously Christmas Island, there is Pearce air base. “There’s those sorts of places that are outside of the very heavily populated, inner city of Perth but the Commonwealth shows no appetite. Mr McGowan said there was already a “big and new hospital” in Busselton that was relatively close to the city. “People all over regional WA fly to the city for health purposes all the time, the Royal Flying Doctor Service does that. So clearly if there was any health issues it can be resolved fairly quickly,” he said. Occupational hygienist Julia Norris, chief executive of Mandurah-based Occuhealth, said the State Government should consider re-activating Rottnest as a quarantine facility.