“It’s almost like you were damned if you did, damned if you didn’t.' The Mickleham COVID-19 quarantine facility is costing Victorian taxpayers $1.5 million to run each week, despite no longer serving its original purpose. | tom_cowie
, well under half its current capacity. There were 45,153 reported COVID-19 cases in Australia on Saturday.
Australian Medical Association Victoria president Roderick McRae said he had asked the Department of Health if Mickleham could be used to house patients on the National Disability Insurance Scheme who wereHe said those patients were inadvertently blocking beds in the acute hospital system, through no fault of their own.
Despite its lack of use, McRae said that the quarantine facility could still be useful for the next pandemic if it is kept in working order. “It’s almost like you were damned if you did, damned if you didn’t. There was always a possibility you’d be left with a white elephant,” McRae said.A state government spokesperson said the past two years had “clearly shown us the importance of being prepared for whatever the future holds”.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
'Multi-million-dollar stitch-up': Palaszczuk slammed over quarantineAnnastacia Palaszczuk has been battered with criticism over her “multi-million-dollar stitch-up” after stunning revelations revealed the staggering cost of Queensland’s mostly empty COVID quarantine facility.
Read more »
Rental arrears surge in NSW as landlords hike rent at triple the rate - realestate.com.auThe number of tenants falling behind on their rent has surged by almost 50 per cent, as the real estate industry is smashed by cost of living increases across the board.
Read more »
Gabba Olympic funding up in air, despite purported pact with former PMQueensland’s premier insists the $1 billion Gabba rebuild will be co-funded by Canberra, but the new federal government says no firm deal had been reached.
Read more »
US Federal Reserve expected to hike interest rates up by 0.75 per cent next weekSky News Business Editor Ross Greenwood says the United States Federal Reserve is expected to hike interest rates up by three-quarters of a per cent when it meets and hands down its decision next week.
Read more »
Endurance runners smash 1,200km Heysen Trail record by more than a dayRoo, Simon and Dan ran, jogged, staggered and stumbled 90 kilometres per day for almost two weeks to complete the epic trek.
Read more »
Canberra hospitals on cusp of 'amber alert' as patient numbers risePatients infected with COVID-19 took up 15 per cent of the city's hospital beds earlier this week — the highest level recorded during the pandemic.
Read more »