Dreamworld tragedy: Police recommend Coronial hearing ahead of first anniversary of Thunder River Rapids incident

POLICE have recommended no criminal charges be laid against individuals following the Thunder River Rapids tragedy in which four people died, but Dreamworld’s owners aren’t out of the woods yet.

POLICE have recommended no criminal charges be laid against any individual over the Dreamworld disaster a year ago in a report just handed to the Queensland Coroner.

But the Gold Coast theme park’s owners still face potential prosecution by Workplace Health and Safety Queensland (WHSQ) under industrial laws that carry jail terms of up to six years and fines of almost $4 million.

Ahead of next week’s first anniversary of the Thunder River Rapids ride tragedy that killed four people, The Courier-Mail can reveal police have not recommended charges against Dreamworld staff in a two-volume report presented last week to the Coroner’s office.

Police are understood to have recommended a coronial hearing, expected to be held next year.

The Courier-Mail understands the killer ride’s emergency procedures and training, as well as mechanical issues, will come under close scrutiny at the inquest.

Candlelight vigils were held last year after four people were killed at Dreamworld.

A young Dreamworld staff member was on her first day of operating the ride when it malfunctioned on October 25 last year. Canberra mum-of-two Kate Goodchild, 32, her brother Luke Dorsett, 35, his partner Roozi Araghi, 38, and Sydney woman Cindy Low, 42, were killed.

WHSQ completed its “exhaustive” investigation into the tragedy last month and State Government lawyers are now assessing the report to determine if charges should be laid.

New industrial manslaughter laws were passed last week in State Parliament but are not retrospective, so cannot be used in relation to the Dreamworld incident.

However, Dreamworld’s stock exchange-listed owners Ardent Leisure could still face prosecution under the Work Health and Safety Act, which carries jail terms and multimillion-dollar fines for reckless conduct and hefty fines for negligence.

A WHSQ spokesman confirmed it was examining the “legal consequences of the investigation … including whether any charges should be laid”.

“That process is expected to take several months,” the spokesman said.

“Given the possibility of pending legal action, no further comment on the ride or investigation can be made.”

The police brief given to the Coroner includes more than 200 witness statements.

The huge police brief given to the Coroner includes more than 200 witness statements and graphic video footage of the Thunder River Rapids ride incident.

When he visited the disaster scene last October, southeast Queensland Coroner James McDougall told journalists he hoped an inquest would be held this year.

But complex police and WHSQ investigations are believed to have delayed the process.

A Coroner’s Court spokesman said an inquest would be held on a date to be determined.

“While there is understandably great public interest in the investigation, it also needs to be understood that a significant number of highly complex reports, due to the nature of the tragedy, are and have been compiled as part of the coroner’s investigation,” he said.

The victims’ families did not comment.

A Dreamworld spokesman said the park was unable to comment “due to the sensitive nature of the (coronial) investigation and any subsequent report”.