The Federal Government has shown its support for purpose-built quarantine facilities, approving a 1000 bed facility in Victoria.
In a letter to Victoria's Acting Premier, James Merlino, Prime Minister Scott Morrison advised a suburb in Melbourne has been selected for the quarantine site.
The facility is expected to be built in Mickleham, set to open once the first 500 beds are available.
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In addition, the Prime Minister has put forward an alternative proposal for another site in Queensland after rejecting the state's plan for a facility at Wellcamp Airport.
Mr Morrison wrote to Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, advising her the site doesn't meet Commonwealth key assessment criteria for a purpose-built quarantine facility.
Instead, the government has proposed the Department of Defence Damascus Barracks as a more suitable location.
Queensland Deputy Premier Steven Miles urged the Prime Minister to reconsider his state's proposal.
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"We could go ahead now, we could build this now, but instead the Prime Minister wants us to start from scratch with this other proposal (in Victoria)."
Mr Miles expressed his disappointment at the delayed response from the Federal Government, saying the proposal for the Wellcamp facility had been "on the table" for five months.
"This proposal could have been built already, second of all, it could have been built faster," he said.
Despite the setback, Mr Miles said the Queensland government "welcomed" the decision from the Federal Government in approving purpose-built facilities and said they would be "happy" to work on Mr Morrison's alternative proposal.
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