Western Australia’s Bullsbrook Quarantine Centre to house hantavirus‑exposed cruise ship passengers

The $400 million, 500‑bed Bullsbrook Centre for National Resilience, built on the outskirts of Perth during the COVID‑19 pandemic, has remained largely unused since its completion in 2022. The facility, designed with separate apartments, dedicated ventilation and centralised services to prevent cross‑contamination, is now being put to its intended purpose.

Authorities confirmed seven cases of hantavirus linked to the cruise ship MV Hondius, with two additional investigations underway. The latest group of evacuees includes four Australian citizens, one permanent resident and a New Zealander who disembarked in the Netherlands before being flown to RAAF Base Pearce and transferred to Bullsbrook for a mandatory three‑week quarantine.

The centre, located 48 km from Perth’s CBD, is one of three similar quarantine hubs built across Australia. After brief use for bushfire evacuees in 2023, it has largely remained dormant, prompting repeated calls for repurposing. This deployment marks the first use of the facility for its originally intended health emergency function.