To lifting bans, urge businesses

At Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary yesterday to announce $11 million in State Government funding to help Gold Coast theme parks pay workers laid off during the COVID-19 pandemic, Ms Jones blamed the protesters for defying health advice.

“I didn’t let 30,000 protesters protest in Brisbane (and) neither did the Government,” she said. “The Premier said very clearly ‘do not go to the protest’. The Police Commissioner said ‘do not go to the protest’. Some people, the majority of them young, chose to ignore that health advice.”

But despite the controversial rally – where protesters largely flouted public gatherrestrictions ing and social distancing rules for which others have been heavily fined – Ms Jones said theme parks, stadiums and other large-scale venues could not reopen without COVID-19-safe plans.

Clark Kirby, boss of Village Roadshow theme parks Sea World, Movie World and Wet ‘n’ Wild, said it was “certainly very frustrating” to see images of Saturday’s protest while his parks remained closed.

Mr Kirby said the theme park group had submitted a COVID-19-safe plan to Queensland Health and hoped to reopen Sea World in time for at least the second week of the upcoming school holidays.

A Dreamworld spokesman said it had submitted a COVID-19-safe plan to Queensland Health for review.

“Timing for reopening our parks will be subject to the feedback and approvals received from Queensland health authorities,” the spokesman said.

Queensland Performing Arts Centre CEO John Kotzas said the organisation was working through how and when it would reopen.

“We’re working together with health experts, industry peak bodies and partners to ascertain what we need to put in place to ensure our performers and audiences feel safe once we can re-open our doors.”