Ardent pleads guilty

Dreamworld accident a failure of health and safety duty

DREAMWORLD owners Ardent Leisure have pleaded guilty to breaching their health and safety duties in relation to the Thunder River Rapids Ride on which four people were killed in October 2016.

The shock plea came at the theme park giant’s first appearance in the Southport Magistrates Court for three counts of failing to comply with health and safety duty.

The matter was the first case before Magistrate Michelle Dooley on Wednesday with more media in attendance than lawyers.

Families for the four people killed were not present to hear the barrister for Ardent Leisure, Bruce Hodgkinson, when he said: “I have instructions to enter a plea of guilty on all charges.”

The case took less than five minutes.

Magistrate Dooley set the plea down for September 28.

It is expected it will take a day for the case to be put forward and the magistrate to consider the material.

Ardent Leisure can be fined a maximum of $4.5m.

Four people – Kate Goodchild, Luke Dorsett, Roozbeh Araghi and Cindy Low – lost their lives when a pump stopped working on the Thunder River Rapids Ride just after 2pm on October 25, 2016.

The water levels dropped and a raft became stuck on a conveyor belt.

That raft was hit by another carrying Mr Dorsett, his sister Ms Goodchild, her daughter Ebony, 12, Mr Araghi, Ms Low and her son, Kieran, 10. The raft flipped and the four adults were killed.

The two children remained strapped in the raft until onlookers were able to free them.

The inquest began in June 2018 with six weeks of hearings held over that year.

In February this year coroner James McDougall handed down his decision recommending the Office of Industrial Relations consider charges.

Outside of court, workplace health and safety prosecutor Aaron Guilfoyle declined to comment.

Mr Hodgkinson then appeared outside the court and spoke to media.

“The processes are going on and we will comply with all the court’s orders,” he said.

Asked if he wanted to say anything to the families of the four victims, Mr Hodgkinson did not reply.