Ardent Leisure allowed to use $2.7 million in koala research funding for new Dreamworld rollercoaster

Almost $3 million of Queensland Government funds allocated to Dreamworld for a state-of-the-art facility to protect endangered koalas is reported to have been diverted to build the theme park’s Steel Taipan rollercoaster.

During Queensland Government budget estimates hearings this week, the Queensland Tourism Minister, Stirling Hinchliffe says funds were diverted to the theme park ride after koala project delayed.

As revealed today by the Australian Associated Press, Minister Hinchliffe had initially not known what had happened to the cash but late yesterday afternoon confirmed the wildlife project had been delayed and the funding was used to build the Steel Taipan ride.

While closed for business during 2020 with pandemic lockdowns and restrictions in place, Minister Hinchliffe advised the estimates hearing that “Dreamworld requested that the project be placed on hold while it focused its future investment activities on new rides and attractions."

In a bid to support the tourist industry, the Queensland Government launched the $25 million Growing Tourism Infrastructure Fund to accelerate its recovery from COVID-19.

Minister Hinchliffe noted “under that fund, we saw Dreamworld seeking assistance for the support and construction of a new multi-launch rollercoaster ride.”

Advising that Dreamworld’s owner the Ardent Leisure Group was given approval to “repurpose” the funding, Minister Hinchliffe added “the Queensland government approved that the funding previously approved for the research facility be repurposed to support the construction of the new ride, taking into consideration the immediate impacts of the pandemic and the appeal of new tourism offers likely to attract returning domestic visitors and international tourists when borders reopened.

“I am pleased to advise that where that ended up was in the newest attraction, the Steel Taipan, which opened in December 2021.”

The Dreamworld Future Lab koala and native animal research facility, an extension of its Corroboree Precinct, was introduced as the “first of its kind” at the 2019 launch by then Queensland Tourism Minister Kate Jones, then Queensland Environment Minister Leeanne Enoch and then Assistant Minister Meaghan Scanlon.

Scanlon, who is now Queensland’s Environment Minister, said at the time of the announcement “the Dreamworld Future Lab will be a world-class research facility and will allow us to deploy experts to tackle some of the biggest issues facing our native wildlife - like the threat of chlamydia on the local koala population,”

“It will be the first of its kind in our state and will enhance the research capabilities of experts at the University of Queensland by allowing researchers and science undergraduates up-close contact with animals in the field.”

Images: Dreamworld's Steel Tapian rollercoaster which opened in December 2021 (top) and koalas planned for its Future Lab koala and native animal research facility (below).