Coronavirus: Village Roadshow CEO Clark Kirby aiming to have Sea World and Movie World at full capacity by September holidays
Village Roadshow boss Clark Kirby met with Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk yesterday to make the case for reopening.
Gold Coast
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VILLAGE boss Clark Kirby is aiming to have Sea World and Movie World at full capacity in time for the September school holidays if a soft opening the previous month goes to plan.
Mr Kirby met with Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk yesterday to make the case for reopening the theme parks, which have been closed since late-March.
It follows criticism from Mr Kirby last week over the State Government allowing shopping centres to take in thousands of customers, but limiting theme parks to 20 people from June and 100 from July.
“We went through all our COVID-safe plans with her and it got a really good reception,” he said. “There were certainly no promises (from the Premier), but I think she is keen to get the parks open as soon as possible too.”
Mr Kirby said Village submitted a detailed COVID-safe proposal to the State Government, involving families being able to go on rides together while spaced apart from other groups, ensuring social distancing was observed.
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“We are just working through some of the practicalities like social distancing and sanitising,” he said.
Mr Kirby said he hoped to have Village parks undertake a soft opening in July for “very small numbers” and then gradually increase the number of customers to reach full capacity by the September school holidays.
He said he hoped “in ideal circumstances” to have Movie World and Sea World at half capacity by July – meaning 3000 patrons at Sea World and 7000 at Movie World.
Another option being considered is to reopen one park to test the COVID processes first before opening others.
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Griffith University health and infectious disease expert Professor Nigel McMillian said it was up to each industry to make its best case for reopening to large numbers of customers.
“If you look at the NRL and racing and AFL et cetera, they are making their case around their unique circumstances,” Prof McMillian said.
“From an infectious disease point of view, what is the difference between a shopping centre and a theme park? Each one will have its unique, particular issues, (but) a ride (where people are) sitting next to each other – that does not happen in a shopping centre.”
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