Title : Dreamworld ordered maintenance cutbacks before fatal accident: inquest
link : Dreamworld ordered maintenance cutbacks before fatal accident: inquest
Dreamworld ordered maintenance cutbacks before fatal accident: inquest
Cutbacks in repairs and maintenance at Dreamworld were ordered seven months prior to four people being killed on a popular water ride at the Gold Coast theme park, an inquest has heard.
Kate Goodchild, Luke Dorsett, Roozi Araghi and Cindy Low were killed when two rafts collided on Dreamworld's Thunder River Rapids ride in October 2016.
The coronial inquiry into the incident has heard a large water pump feeding the ride failed and two rafts collided after one became stuck on the conveyor belt.
In the witness box today, Dreamworld's safety manager at the time, Mark Thompson, was shown minutes from an engineering team management meeting in March 2016 — the same month he was hired.
The document stated the monthly expenditure was $125,000 over budget on a year-to-date basis.
"Revenue is up but profit is down, cutbacks are now being enforced," the document stated.
"Repairs and maintenance spending needs to stop, only CAPEX [capital expenditure]."
Mr Thompson told the inquest there was an "archaic system" of computer files to manage and sort through when he began working at Dreamworld.
"I spent a long time going through them. I was never given any direction to conduct risk assessments with human components," he said.
Mr Thompson said he needed the support of a team of six people to help manage workplace health and safety at Dreamworld.
"There was only one of me … it made it hard for me to do proactive work when I was putting out forest fires," he said.
Mr Thompson said he reported the concerns to his manager but was told there were "financial constraints" and Dreamworld had "always done it that way".
The Coroner's Court heard a dedicated team of six safety professionals was employed in early 2017, after the fatalities on the Thunder River Rapids.
The inquest heard Dreamworld's workplace health and policy procedure had not been updated in six years.
It heard the Thunder River Rapids ride's registration was due to expire in January 2016, but the company sought and was granted two extensions by Workplace Health and Safety Queensland (WHSQ).
An email from Mr Thompson to WHSQ dated September 2016 said the park was having difficulty finding a "competent person" to inspect its so-called big nine thrill rides.
Mr Thompson faced cross examination by defence barrister Matthew Hickey, representing Cindy Low's family.
Mr Thompson was shown the theme park's first aid policy on the Thunder River Rapids ride, from which a warning advising that rafts could flip had been deleted.
"The rafts are very heavy and there is a lot of underwater obstacles that could cause the rafts to flip or entrap a guest," the warning stated.
Mr Thompson said he was never informed when he began his role that rafts had previous collided and flipped on the ride.
He told Mr Hickey that Dreamworld management were more focused on new attractions than on existing amusements.
Mr Hickey asked: "Familiarity had bred contempt with the Thunder River Rapids ride?"
Mr Thompson replied: "Yes."
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk today would not comment on safety issues raised in the inquest, but said the State Government ordered a safety audit of all theme park rides in the wake of the Dreamworld tragedy.
"The onus is on those companies to ensure that those audits are up to date and compliant," she said.
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