Three Canberrans – Kate Goodchild (right), Roozi Araghi (top) and Luke Dorsett (bottom) – and one Sydney woman lost their lives in the Dreamworld tragedy in 2016. Photo: File.
Dreamworld’s parent company Ardent Leisure has been fined $3.6 million over the faulty Thunder River Rapids Ride that killed four people – including three Canberrans – in 2016.
The company had been charged with three counts of failing to comply with health and safety duties. Each charge carries a maximum fine of $1.5 million.
The accident killed Canberrans Kate Goodchild, 32, her brother Luke Dorsett, 35, his partner Roozi Araghi, 38, and Sydney woman Cindy Low, 42, when their raft collided with an empty raft on the ride after a pump failed.
Kate’s 12-year-old daughter and Cindy’s 10-year-old son survived the accident.
Queensland coroner James McDougall recommended that charges be laid in a report released in February which found that there was a “systematic failure by Dreamworld in relation to all aspects of safety”.
The 300-page report stated that there were significant risks with the Thunder River Rapids Ride, including the fact that there was no emergency stop button for the conveyor on the main control panel.
Shayne Goodchild, the father of Luke and Kate, said the deaths had left a “gaping hole in their hearts”.
“Kate was the lifeblood of the family unit. She had a wonderful sense of humour that was enjoyed by the whole family,” he said in a statement.
“If someone needed help Luke and Roozi provided it. To say we miss them every day does not begin to encompass our grief and loss.”
Loading ...
