Dreamworld left reeling as inquest lays bare shocking shortcomings
ALMOST two years after the theme park tragedy which claimed four lives, Dreamworld has been left reeling as an inquest laid bare shocking shortcomings that contributed to the disaster. But there is hope for the future.
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IT’S as ironic as it is tragic.
There has probably never been a better time to go to Dreamworld.
Almost two years after the theme park tragedy which claimed four lives, Dreamworld has been left reeling again as an inquest laid bare the shocking shortcomings that contributed to the disaster.
Around the Gold Coast, people have murmured that as horrific as the October 2016 tragedy was, in some ways the inquest has been worse.
This was not simply some one-in-a-million freak accident. Some of the evidence presented at the inquest in terms of training and safety procedures almost defied belief.
But if any good can come from the deaths of Kate Goodchild, Luke Dorsett, Roozi Araghi and Cindy Low, it is as the catalyst to ensure nothing like that terrible day ever happens again.
Which is why Dreamworld today is safer than it has ever been.
Safety audits carried out after the Thunder River Rapids disaster revealed major compliance issues — issues that have since been rectified and then some.
Dreamworld now is in far better hands than it was two years ago.
Crowds have been slow to return and Gary Weiss, the chairman of Dreamworld’s parent company Ardent Leisure, concedes it is now a battle to regain trust.
Since the inquest adjourned on Friday afternoon, action has been swift. CEO Craig Davidson, a popular and brave leader in the aftermath of the tragedy, has fallen on his sword.
More executive-level changes are in the works and already a new risk management expert has been appointed.
Ironically, the holiday-makers prepared to visit Dreamworld now are making the most of it.
Dreaded ride queues are virtually non-existent, which means more bang for your buck.
It’s now often possible to tick off all of Dreamworld’s ‘Big 9’ thrill rides in a couple of hours, leaving more time to wander the park’s new attractions, like the revamped Tiger Island, Australia’s first LEGO store and a new Trolls Village, a world-first based on the characters
from the Dreamworks movie franchise.
For the opening weekend of the school holidays, Sunday was quiet, but crowds on the Friday and Saturday immediately beforehand were huge.
That coincided with a chance for season ticket holders to renew their annual passes at a discount.
Just a few weeks earlier, another promotional deal packed the place, to the point the car park — often mostly empty in the months after the tragedy, was overflowing, with hundreds of cars parked along nearby service roads.
Clearly, those people are prepared to give Dreamworld another chance.
So are many on the Gold Coast, where Dreamworld is one of the region’s biggest employers.
Most of us know people who work there and it has been the scene of some of our best memories.
Most hope that despite the tragedy of October, 2016, and the shock of last week’s inquest, Dreamworld still has a future.
A future that we can all be a part of.
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