Dreamworld Gold Coast: Reopening date still not announced

We were supposed to know by now when Dreamworld would reopen. Instead, a date has still not been set, while a planned new roller coaster lies in pieces in the car park. SEE THE PHOTOS

THEY are photos that sum up the state of Dreamworld at the moment.

Its new multimillion-dollar rollercoaster languishes in the car park months after being delivered, while, more than two weeks after rival Movie World started welcoming back visitors, a reopening date is still to be announced for the giant Coomera theme park.

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Parts of the unbuilt rollercoaster sitting in the Dreamworld carpark. Picture: Glenn Hampson.

Work had been due to start on construction of the roller coaster last month. Picture: Glenn Hampson.

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Ardent Leisure had planned to start work on what it billed as the first multi-launch rollercoaster in the southern hemisphere last month, but it does not have the funds.

Instead it has spent up to $10 million each month just to keep its parks functioning during the shutdown.

A Dreamworld spokesman said the dormant rollercoaster was imposing no extra costs on the park, with existing security looking after the asset. The rollercoaster is expected to generate $17 million in contractor works once construction begins.

Dreamworld is burning through up to $10 million a month just to keep its empty parks functioning. Picture: Glenn Hampson.

There has still been no confirmation when Dreamworld will re-open, despite a previous promise a date would be announced in “mid-July”. Picture: Glenn Hampson.

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Meanwhile, although the Dreamworld website still states a reopening date would be confirmed by “mid-July”, Ardent remains unable to say when that will be.

The spokesman said the company was sticking to its plan to open up Dreamworld and WhiteWater World in time for the September school holidays, despite new restrictions being imposed by the Queensland Government on travellers from metropolitan Sydney.

A spokesperson says park management “remains optimistic” about reopening in time for the September school holidays. Picture: Glenn Hampson.

“We are expecting to open in time for the September school holiday period,” he said.

“That is what we are aiming for albeit the government is making it tricky with all of these restrictions but we remain optimistic.”

Ardent yesterday pleaded guilty at the Southport Magistrates Court to breaching health and safety duties in relation to the Thunder River Rapids Ride which killed four people in October 2016.

The company could be fined a maximum of $4.5 million for the breaches.