Date set for Dreamworld tragedy inquest

THE inquest into the horrific Dreamworld tragedy in which four people died will get under way in Brisbane next month.

Almost 18 months after Kate Goodchild, Luke Dorsett, Roozi Araghi and Cindy Low were killed when the Thunder Rapids River Ride malfunctioned in October 2016, a cor- oner’s court hearing will start in Brisbane on April 3.

No evidence will be heard then, but lawyers will present the Coroner with applications surrounding potential witnesses and a discussion of how long the inquest could take.

Dates for the subsequent hearings – and where they are – will be decided on the day. The initial hearing is being held in Brisbane as the Gold Coast court system winds down for the Commonwealth Games, starting the next day.

Police investigators, victims’ families and Dreamworld representatives have been told of the hearing.

The inquest, which follows an exhaustive 12month police investigation, will aim to establish exactly what caused the malfunction in which the victims were thrown from their raft and killed.

The inquest will examine the construction, maintenance, safety measures, staffing, history and modifications to the ride and whether staff received sufficient training. One ride operator working on the day was still in training.

There were also concerns over water pumps, with reports the water level was dangerously low leading up to the tragedy.

Investigators using crash test dummies spent days trying to recreate the conditions which led to the crash but were unsuccessful.

A spokeswoman for Dreamworld’s parent company Ardent Leisure said the theme park would continue to co-operate with authorities moving towards the coronial hearings.