We were initially told Quarantine Camps in Australia were being built to replace existing temporary measures (currently repurposed hotels and other buildings) for quarantine of travellers into our country. We were told this was required to keep our citizens safe. We were told all of the measures our government have taken during this two-week-turned-two-year plan to “flatten the curve” was to keep us safe.
Dubbed “Centres for National Resilience”, The Department of Finance claims these centres will “continue to support any ongoing quarantine requirements throughout the pandemic.” Once we no longer need to quarantine people in relation to the COVID-19 response, the “Centres will be able to be used for other purposes.”
Whilst keeping the community safe is a great slogan, over the past few months we have seen these facilities being used for much more sinister purposes.
At the end of 2021, the world saw a video emerge of Hayley Hodgson’s account of being taken to Howard Springs Camp as a punishment for not obeying quarantine rules.
We also saw a broadcast from the Northern Territory’s Chief Minister, Michael Gunner, announcing that Aboriginal community members from Binjari had been escorted by the military to Howard Springs after 9 cases were discovered in the community.
Despite being assured by multiple community leaders that the residents felt as though the military were there to assist, two of the detainees escaped before being located by the police.
Watch the announcement of the military being deployed into this region here (02:50 mark):
Northern Territory (NT)
Howard Springs, Darwin
The most well-known Camp in Australia is located in Howard Springs, Darwin. This particular camp is being used as a model for others either under construction, or with planned construction underway. The facility reportedly has the capacity to currently house up to 3,500 people.
Alice Springs
The NT also boasts a second facility located in Alice Springs.
Western Australia (WA)
In August 2021, the Australian government “fast-tracked” approvals to build additional quarantine “hubs”.
Formerly a Royal Australian Air Force Base, the compound is situated 45km from Perth. The Department of Defence admits to a “known contamination issue” at the property, which “relates to elevated levels of heavy metals in soil and groundwater around the former landfill.”
This camp will reportedly be able to hold 1,000 people.
Queensland (QLD)
Damascus Barracks, Pinkenba
Built in the 1940’s, the Damascus Barracks were originally developed for the purpose of disposal of military waste.
Since this time, they have been taken over by the Joint Logistics Unit (South QLD) and a Defence contractor for the storage and supply of material. Anecdotal evidence suggests potential buried military hardware exists at unknown locations.
The government signed a Memorandum in August 2021 to build a quarantine facility at the Damascus Barracks and “ensure consistency in the design for the efficient operation of the facility as part of the statewide quarantine network”.
It will reportedly be able to house 1,000 people.
Wellcamp, Toowoomba
According to the QLD Government, “The facility forms part of QLD’s quarantine management approach and meets an urgent need to keep Queenslanders safe from COVID-19 through safe, secure and effective quarantine processes. It will ensure we have quarantine capacity for travellers to return to QLD.”
In a much more sobering announcement, however, Australians saw QLD’s Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk state on national television that the camps would be used to house unvaccinated people.
Watch the announcement here (00:59 seconds):
South Australia (SA)
Recent discoveries about tendering opportunities in SA have revealed that there are currently camps being planned in four separate locations:
- Port Augusta
- Port Lincoln
- Renmark
- Mount Gambier
New South Wales (NSW)
The NSW government intends on pursuing what they are calling “The International Student Accommodation Program” which will be based in Sydney, CBD.
This facility is a NSW Police led operation in conjunction with NSW Health and the tender announcement states that “all operational decisions are taken by NSW Police”.
Victoria (VIC)
Known as the “Quarantine Hub”, the current facility is located in Mickelham, VIC.
Inspired by Howard Springs, this “hub”—or Alternative Quarantine Accommodation (AQA)—is part of the Centres for National Resilience. The first stage of construction will be able to hold 500 people, with the second expansion increasing this to a capacity of 1,000.
It is reported that there are plans to increase this to a capacity of 3,000 people, with the design including “relocatable cabins”.
Christmas Island
The North West Point Immigration Detention Centre (NWPIDC) at Christmas Island has long been the talk of human rights groups, criticising the conditions at the NWPIDC and treatment of migrants who are imprisoned there.
Another shock finding through a Freedom of Information Request is that the NWIPDC was handed over and repurposed in January 2020 as a Quarantine Facility.
This was supposedly to assist with pandemic measures at the start of the pandemic, however no records have been found as to the retraction of this arrangement.
According to the research conducted by Zeee Media, most of these facilities either have the capacity for expansion of existing housing abilities, or have new tenders already open for expansion opportunities in multiple states.
Australian politicians have been telling us of late that we need to “learn to live with the virus”. With this in mind along with a clear progression towards a totalitarian society in our nation, we need to ask some crucial questions; why are we still investing millions of dollars into these camps, what are they really planning to do with them, and what will they be used for after the pandemic?
Written by Maria Zeee
Published 13 JAN, 2022
