Could Bullsbrook’s long-dormant quarantine facility finally be of use? There’s just one problem

Western Australia’s biggest housing advocacy group has shot down the idea of using the perennially vacant Bullsbrook quarantine facility to house homeless people, saying it was not suitable for people with complex needs.

The white elephant facility made headlines again this week after WA Opposition Leader Basil Zempilas raised the prospect of using it to address homelessness after reports emerged of dozens of people camping along Memorial Drive in Safety Bay after being forced out of permanent housing.

Bullsbrook’s $400 million COVID-19 quarantine facility was completed in 2022 but has sat idle since, given travellers were no longer required to quarantine by that stage. It has since become a thorn in the side of the state and Commonwealth governments, which still have no plan for the facility.

The facility is often touted as a temporary solution for those experiencing homelessness, and Zempilas told 6PR Radio on Wednesday he didn’t understand why it couldn’t be used as temporary accommodation.

“Surely common sense would tell us that if we have a facility that is empty and can house 500 people, now is a time for that facility to be opened up for a form of temporary accommodation for those people who are otherwise living in their cars,” he said.

However, Shelter WA boss Kath Snell said her team had visited the facility and found it was unsuitable for both short and long-term housing.

“Certainly the reports back from that is unfortunately, it’s really not suitable for long-term housing, and that’s what we need,” she said.

“It was built as an isolation facility, and that’s exactly what it is, and that’s not what we need to be able to support people who sometimes have complex needs.

“A lot of people who need short-term crisis accommodation often need some additional supports that’s not available there at this point in time.

“From what I understand, the rooms are not suitable. There’s not enough air circulation, there’s not enough public spaces there. The rooms are very small.

“While I understand that it’s frustrating that there’s something like that sitting there empty, and we feel that frustration too at this point in time, we don’t believe that it’s suitable.”

Housing Minister John Carey rubbished Zempilas’ suggesttion and attacked comments he made in 2019, before he became Perth’s lord mayor, suggesting the forced removal of homeless people from the city centre.

“Basil was on the record previously that his solution to homelessness was to drive to forcibly remove people off the street, drive them out of the city, and that the look of homelessness was disgusting,” Carey said.

“So it’s no surprise that we’re seeing the Liberal leader suggest driving rough sleepers out to an isolated and unserviced complex.

“The rough sleepers can have complex needs and they need access to services. That’s why we’ve built common ground in East Perth that has intensive wraparound support services.”

Internal briefing papers released to this masthead under freedom of information laws show senior Australian Federal Police executives were given a full tour of the Bullsbrook facility in January 2025, as part of work to explore converting the facility into a training space.

In response to the Memorial Drive encampment, Carey said homeless outreach teams were visiting people there.

He would not be drawn on the circumstances that led to the growth of the encampment and whether it was caused by housing stress through higher rent and mortgage costs.

“I’m not in a position to assess those people. Neither are you. I will leave that to the trained homeless outreach workers who go out each day,” he said.

“But often, and I’ve been out with those homeless outreach workers, someone can present as simply as you describe, but actually scratch the surface, and there are more complex needs.”

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