Private memorial for Dreamworld staff

  • 28/10/2016
Floral tributes are laid outside the Dreamworld Theme Park on the Gold Coast (AAP)
Floral tributes are laid outside the Dreamworld Theme Park on the Gold Coast (AAP)

A private memorial will be held for staff at Dreamworld on Friday, but its doors will remain shut to the public.

The Gold Coast adventure park had planned to reopen to the public after Tuesday's fatal raft ride. But police scuppered Dreamworld's plans, saying they won't be rushed in their investigation and the area remains a crime scene.

Dreamworld says the integrity of the investigation is of paramount importance, and will be providing an update on the park's future on Monday. Its parent company faces a potential fine in the millions.

The assistant police commissioner for Queensland told Newshub police were not informed of Dreamworld's plans to reopen so soon, and only found out through reports in the media.

The chief executive of Ardent Leisure - which owns Dreamworld - has announced she'll donate her annual cash bonus to help the families of those killed.

Deborah Thomas will personally give her $167,000 bonus to the Red Cross to help those impacted by Tuesday's tragedy.

Ms Thomas had claimed in a press conference broadcast live that Dreamworld had spoken to the families of the victims, but that turned out not to be true.

She then said Dreamworld hadn't been able to get in touch with the families, but would after the press conference was over.

Meanwhile, an Australian radio host has been taken off air after making a joke about the tragedy only days after it happened.

Cindy Low, 42, and Kate Goodchild, 32, her brother Luke Dorsett, 35, and his partner Roozbeh Araghi, 38, were killed when a raft they were in on the Thunder River Rapids ride flipped backwards on Tuesday.

Newshub.