House debates

Thursday, 26 August 2021

Questions without Notice

COVID-19: Quarantine

2:37 pm

Photo of Patrick GormanPatrick Gorman (Perth, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Western Australia) Share this | | Hansard source

[by video link] My question is to the Prime Minister. Can the Prime Minister confirm that, a week after announcing an MOU with the Western Australian government to build a quarantine facility at Jandakot Airport, and a day after asking parliament to authorise the works, the facility has now been canned in favour of a new site which is highly contaminated with PFAS? Eighteen months into a pandemic, isn't this a farce?

2:38 pm

Photo of Scott MorrisonScott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | | Hansard source

I note that the Bullsbrook quarantine site is also supported by the Western Australian government. In forming that MOU to develop the facility on that site, and prior to selecting the site at Bullsbrook, an independent feasibility study from the engineering and design firm AECOM was undertaken, finding that the site was safe and suitable. The site is approximately three kilometres from the operational Pearce RAAF base.