Village Roadshow says its Gold Coast theme parks feel the impact of Dreamworld tragedy

Ardent Leisure is not the only company being affected by the tragic deaths at its Dreamworld theme park last month. 

Village Roadshow, which operates neighbouring theme parks on the Gold Coast like Movie World and Sea World, says that the accident has also impacted attendance at its parks. 

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"We have seen inconsistent trading following the tragic accident at Dreamworld in October," Village Roadshow chairman Robert Kirby told investors at the company's annual shareholder meeting in Melbourne on Thursday. 

"However, we are hesitant to extrapolate any trends from trading to date, given limited information at this time." 

The Dreamworld tragedy has deeply shocked the Australian public, which is reflected in other theme parks' attendances.
The Dreamworld tragedy has deeply shocked the Australian public, which is reflected in other theme parks' attendances. Photo: Mark Jesser

Ardent Leisure has yet to give a timeframe for when Dreamworld will reopen. 

Ardent CEO Deborah Thomas announced last week that the company would demolish the Thunder River Rapids ride out of respect for the families of those who lost their lives and the park will remain closed while an extensive safety audit is conducted.

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"No ride at Dreamworld will operate until the Workplace Health and Safety Audit has been completed and unless it passes the multi-level internal and external review process," she said.

Village Roadshow operates the Movie World and Sea World theme parks on the Gold Coast.
Village Roadshow operates the Movie World and Sea World theme parks on the Gold Coast.  

Kirby offered assurances about the safety and maintenance checks at Village Roadshows theme parks and said the company would have a better understanding of the impact on its attendance numbers by its mid-year results in February next year. 

"We do believe it will take time for the community and the marketplace to fully recover from the tragedy," he said.  

Got a tip? ckruger@fairfaxmedia.com.au

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