More than $700,000 was spent by the state government to rent, refurbish and secure a Coastal motel for a COVID-19 clinic that would never be used - nearly twice the amount previously reported.
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A government spokesperson said this was due to a weather event "outside [its] control", which resulted in water damage and necessary electrical work that "couldn't have been predicted".
Labor has slammed the spend as a "cost blowout".
The government did not initially plan to run a COVID care management facility in the North-West, but after community pressure it relented and chose the Weller's Inn in Burnie as its preferred site.
This was a massive cost blowout for a planned service that was never actually delivered.
- Anita Dow
However, after booking out the entire motel for three nearly three months between December 20, 2021, and March 19, 2022, hiring security, and upgrading the venue's utilities, Weller's Inn was deemed unsuitable.
Devonport's Sunrise motor inn was then used instead, and in February the government revealed the Weller's Inn process had cost the taxpayer $375,000.
But in estimates hearings this week, Premier Jeremy Rockliff revised that figure to a little more than $717,000.
Mr Rockliff revealed that the Department of Health had spent $356,000 in rent for the period between December and March, which was $41,000 north of the initial figure.
And while the health minister had said the department spent $60,000 on security and IT infrastructure, he has now said that excluding GST, $262,204 was spent on security alone.
A further $62,745 was spent on WiFi infrastructure and security monitoring hardware and installation, $20,000 was spent on "miscellaneous minor repairs and inspections", and security fencing cost $16,297.
Aside from the rent and the fence, all of those figures excluded GST.
Labor health spokesperson Anita Dow said the figures revealed a "massive cost blowout".
"The planned COVID Community Case management centre at Weller's Inn amounts to a significant expenditure with no benefit to the community," she said.
"This was a massive cost blowout for a planned service that was never actually delivered."
Mr Rockliff was asked if he thought the cost blow out was reasonable, but comment was provided by a government spokesperson about the decision to relocate to the Sunrise motel.
"The Sunrise Motel... was already established as part of our Hotel Quarantine Program," they said.
"When it became clear that there would be a significant delay, the department was able to move quickly to get a plan B in place.
Sandy Powell
Court and crime reporter covering the West and North-West of Tasmania for the Advocate.
Court and crime reporter covering the West and North-West of Tasmania for the Advocate.
