Dreamworld’s parent company, Ardent Leisure, was fined $ 3.6 million for the deaths of four people on the Thunder River Rapids Ride in 2016
Cindy Low, Kate Goodchild, Luke Dorsett and her partner Roozi Araghi died when their raft collided with an empty raft and overturned in October 2016
Earlier today, Southport Magistrates ‘Court heard moving victim statements from the victims’ families, including a teenage girl who saw her mother and two uncles killed on Dreamworld four years ago
Ebony Turner was 12 when she witnessed the fatal crash on the Thunder River Rapids Ride in 2016
The teenager was accompanied by Kim Dorsett, who is her grandmother and the mother of the victims of the ride Kate Godchild and Luke Dorsett
M’s partner Dorsett, Roozi Araghi and Cindy Low, also died when their raft collided with an empty raft and turned around
Ms Dorsett gave a victim impact statement during the theme park sentencing outside Southport Magistrates Court this morning
She recounted the moment she saw her Ebony granddaughter at the police station after being told about the tragedy
« Ebony had survived the crash and was in hysterics trying to recount the events that happened that afternoon, » Ms Dorsett told court
« These words have become a recurring nightmare, words that will stay with me until I take my last breath too »
Ms Dorsett stopped several times to look for tissues during her emotional speech, which she had traveled from Canberra with Ebony to deliver in person
She described her daily struggles with PTSD, loss of memory and organizational skills, and a life now living in a « lonely village of mourning »
A number of relatives of the victims watched the proceedings via a video link, including Ms Low’s brother, Michael Cook, and her husband, Matthew Low
Queensland independent occupational health and safety prosecutor Aaron Guilfoyle has charged Dreamworld parent company Ardent Leisure with three counts of failing to comply with the health and safety duty, Category 2, under the Queensland Health and Safety Act
The maximum penalty for each violation is $ 1.5 million – or $ 4.5 million in total
In July, Ardent Leisure appeared briefly before Southport Magistrates Court and pleaded guilty to all three counts
A coronary artery inquest into the four deaths revealed a series of breakdowns in the park, including security and maintenance systems that the coroner described as « rudimentary at best » and « terribly unsophisticated »
Occupational health and safety attorney Aaron Guilfoyle recommended Magistrate Pamela Dowse heavily penalize Ardent Leisure and register a conviction
« The failures didn’t just happen on the day of the incident, they were failures long before, which ultimately led to what happened
« This is a rare case where a penalty close to the maximum available is appropriate »
Ardent Leisure’s legal representative, Bruce Hodgkinson SC, told the court that the company did not dispute the facts presented by Mr. Guilfoyle, opening his observations with an apology
« Ardent apologizes wholeheartedly to the family and friends of Roozi Araghi, Luke Dorsett, Kate Goodchild and Cindy Low for the past failures of Dreamworld identified by this lawsuit
« Ardent expresses its deepest condolences to the immediate and extended families for their tremendous loss and continuing suffering
« Ardent also apologizes to all who have been so deeply affected by this tragedy: first responders, bystanders, Queensland Police and Ambulance Services, Dreamworld staff and many others involved who have been affected «
M Hodgkinson said since the tragedy, Ardent Leisure has worked with cross-industry experts to bring Dreamworld’s security and systems up to global standards.
He told the court this included comprehensive technical reviews, emergency training on a planned and ad hoc basis for staff, and developing new theme park safety rules with the government from queensland
« In addition to working with the regulator, Dreamworld has had extensive industry consultation and experience, both in the theme park industry and in the aviation, mining and petroleum sectors and gas, « said M Hodgkinson
« These are industries that have come under intense scrutiny, both internally and externally, when it comes to the development of security mechanisms
« These have been used to ensure that the park, on an ongoing basis, has been made safe and has been brought up to global safety standards »
In a statement released after the fine, Ardent Leisure Chairman Gary Weiss and CEO John Osborne said they accepted the court’s decision to impose « the largest fine in the history of the Queensland for a workplace tragedy «
« Ardent’s board of directors has, and continues to, push for the remaining claims to be resolved expeditiously, noting that in the case of minors’ compensation, court approval is required before that the compensation can be finalized
« Construction of the memorial garden announced in February has been suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic and this project will resume in the coming months after consultation with immediate family members »
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World news – UA – Dreamworld operator Ardent Leisure fined $ 3.6m for deaths of the Thunder River Rapids Ride
SOURCE: https://www.w24news.com
