Dreamworld parent company charged over deadly ride accident
Four people where killed when a ride malfunctioned at the Gold Coast theme park in 2016. Photo: AAP/Dreamworld
Dreamworld’s parent company Ardent Leisure has been charged over the 2016 theme park tragedy that killed four people when the Thunder River Rapids ride malfunctioned, causing two rafts to collide at the Gold Coast theme park.
In a statement to the Australian stock exchange, Ardent Leisure said three charges had been filed against the company in the Brisbane Magistrates Court under the Work Health and Safety Act.
Each charge carries a maximum penalty of $1.5 million.
A coronial inquest into the four deaths made findings of a series of failures at the park, including safety and maintenance systems that the Coroner described as “rudimentary at best” and “frighteningly unsophisticated”.
Cindy Low, Kate Goodchild, Luke Dorsett and Roozi Araghi died on the ride at Dreamworld in 2016.
Kate Goodchild, her brother Luke Dorsett and his partner Roozbeh ‘Roozi’ Araghi were killed alongside 42-year-old Cindy Low when the ride malfunctioned about 2.30pm on Tuesday, October 25, 2016.
A boy and girl, aged 10 and 12, were on the same raft but managed to escape.
Ardent said it would update the market when the matter had been finally determined.
“First and foremost, we again express our deepest sympathies to the families and friends of Roozbeh Araghi, Luke Dorsett, Kate Goodchild and Cindy Low for their loss and ongoing suffering and say sorry to all of the people impacted by this tragedy,” the statement said.
“There has been considerable change at Dreamworld over the last few years as was acknowledged by the coroner in his report.
“Dreamworld has taken substantive and proactive steps to improve safety across the entire park and continues to enhance existing systems and practices, as well as adopt new ones, as we develop and implement our safety case in accordance with the Queensland Government’s new major amusement park safety regulations.
“The new leadership team is committed to continuing to improve and enhance safety systems and practices with the aim of becoming a global industry leader in theme park safety and operations.”
–ABC
