MEDIA STATEMENT

Monday 24 February 2020

Our sympathies are with the families and first responders involved in this tragedy.

AALARA will address recommendations from the coronial report and is working to establish a code of practice with the industry and Queensland Government to ensure the highest level of safety is achieved.

Following the 2016 tragedy, AALARA briefed the international attractions industry and has worked proactively with the Queensland Government following a Best Practice Review into Workplace Health and Safety to develop legislative changes.

This includes:

• Strengthening instructions and training requirements for ride operators.

• Ensuring mandatory major amusement ride inspections every ten years, as an addition to annual inspections and registration.

• Overseeing the introduction of a safety case and licensing regime for theme parks, to ensure comprehensive risk assessment processes are integrated into daily operations.

AALARA and the attractions industry is committed to a continuous process of improvement, while advocating for the global harmonisation of amusement ride safety standards. The safety and wellbeing of patrons is of the utmost importance to AALARA and the amusement industry.

AALARA President, Shane McGrath said today, this does not mark the beginning of our efforts to achieve world leading safety management within Australia’s attractions industry, this work is continuous and ongoing.