DaptoFunlandGuy

You are of course entirely correct - my bad, i'm currently in "Financial Year 2023" and didn't convert to calendar. Pedantic. Technicality - call this whatever you like - but that isn't how grants work. The government said "we want to encourage more Asian tourists. we will give you money if you can bring more tourists - just tell us how!" Dreamworld said "we will.... something something koalas! Yes! Koalas will bring asian tourists in! Umm... we already have koalas... so we'll.... build a better koala facility, and in doing so this will increase asian tourism!" Government "sounds great! Here's some tourism grant money to build your koala thingy!" It was certainly put on hold prior to covid. then covid happened and they said 'hey, uh, not sure asian tourism should be our priority now - can we spend this on local tourism instead?' and the project was cancelled... after covid. You're entirely correct. Dude, you LITERALLY said in your last sentence that the park should wait 2-3 years when the park is revenue positive, and now you want to claim they "have the cash" ? Just because they've discharged existing debt, it doesn't mean they're well positioned to build white elephants. No. DWF, SW Trust and other similar animal conservation endeavours are great for the brand. Anytime a whale is caught in a net, Sea World gets its brand in prime time news. Its image positive and it gives people warm and fuzzy feelings. This goodwill towards your brand is measurable and tangible and most people don't create these sorts of foundations unless it's doing their image or their bottom line good (and if it's image, that usually flows onto the bottom line as well). By all accounts, Dreamworld has not returned to a pre-2016 situation. While they may have divested themselves of numerous assets, and in doing so, have rid themselves of much of their ongoing debt facilities, they still have a ways to go to get back to those historic levels. As Parkz News said when Steel Taipan was announced: A koala research facility isn't going to change their sinking narrative. When they don't need to borrow money from the government to build a ride, when Parkz articles are shouting "Dreamworld has returned to prosperity!"... THAT is the time when a charitable endeavour to save the koalas would be worth doing for brand goodwill. Right now they just need to make sure they don't kill anybody and can keep the rides running long enough to make it to that point.

Easy? This whole discussion is because they couldn't afford to build the coaster due to the pandemic shutdowns \ cashflows \ whatever, and you think them pulling $3M (it would have certainly cost more than that) out of their arse to build something that is unlikely to be in their best interests (there's been much analysis that even things like Sky Voyager in their recovery phase was foolish and ultimately not going to be worth the money spent) just to satiate the unwashed masses who are just as likely going to forget about the koalas the next time they have a holiday on the gold coast and buy tickets to the park to ride taipan anyway? Precisely. Radio silence. Do nothing, commit to nothing, wait for the 24 hour media cycle to move onto Barnaby Joyce's latest escapade. Yes, by all accounts, Dreamworld had put the project on hold before the pandemic hit. Non-starting projects shouldn't be a surprise to anyone... The people are upset because the media have told them to be upset. They've all forgotten how much diverted funding went into paying people via Covid stimulus payments including Cashflow Boost, JobKeeper, increases to JobSeeker, and later JobMaker. The governments across Australia moved money from existing projects into covid related stimulus projects throughout the past 2.5 years. This isn't an isolated instance - its just the one that makes for a juicy story with the right twist to it. This project is not (and was not) a good fit for Dreamworld in their recovery phase. It was a concept borne of a time of Ampitheatres, Lazy \ Adventure Rivers and hard to market flying theatre attractions. Thankfully, those days are over, and those projects buried, like they should be. Set aside the government funding, if Dreamworld announced today that they were building this facility of their own bat, everyone here would lose their minds, and Richard\Parkz would no doubt publish an article calling it folly when there are so many other things they could be spending their money on that would have a bigger impact on their recovery program. And that article would be 100% on the money. It is a financially stupid decision, which is probably why they shelved it in the first second place. And guarantee if there was some way they could have returned the grant (harder than it sounds, trust me) they'd have probably gotten the same value loan that village got. Instead they got a reduced loan and a grant already awarded. ...and wouldn't you know it - we're entering an election year!

Other than the initial statement \ quote in the first article, I think the radio silence is actually the right thing to do here. They did nothing wrong. They had permission to do what they did from the people who gave them that money. If there's any beef here its with the government permitting the repurposing, but as has been noted repeatedly - the grant was to boost tourism, and post-covid, building Taipan would have more impact on boosting tourism to the region than the koala facility.

"We couldn't let that slide" is marketing speak for "we wanted to capitalise on what was already trending and get our brand some free advertising".

I'm not so sure about that... if we get what is pictured, the load stations for the three attractions are quite a ways from the buildings themselves and the long pathways are probably ample queue space for each. Also remember the public access areas of that building were at the extreme superman edge as the rest was maintenance facility for Arkham at 'brake run' height (see roller door under the smiley face below). While i'm sure that can be removed to some degree, it leaves an awfully tall showbuilding for just a queue... Photo Credit - Theme Park Ogre on Twitter (the concrete ramping pictured above has already been removed so ground level is indicated by the car in the bottom right of the photo)

Yeah, the fact that a politician has backflipped on a prior commitment isn't news, and it doesn't change the legalities of what happened. It is lip service. The media were spinning the repurposing of the tourism grant as an environmental catastrophe for Koalas, and making Qgov look bad - So she makes a public statement that has no legal or other obligation that makes her look better (but will no doubt still be dug up by the LNP at the next state election) and in a few days the story is buried by newer news, and everyone forgets about it again (until the election). Just remember - come election time, it was a tourism grant, and it was used to increase tourism. Also remember - a lot of projects have been impacted by covid (like Leviathan, apparently) and some things got cancelled altogether (I just discovered Qantas permanently stopped their valet service at brisbane airport, for example). Projects have been cancelled all over the world as a result of this pandemic, and lots of the funding for those projects has been diverted to other more useful endeavours to keep people in jobs, and to keep essential services running. The point is, the world has changed, and if you're going to sit and insist that someone should do something really expensive because they said they would prior to the pandemic - and you don't realise that practically all bets were off in the first lockdown, you're either a fool, or you have an ulterior motive.

The press release mentioned projection mapping, which does just sound like their latest buzzword for things - but indoors is generally necessary for daytime effects like this, so my guess is a walkthrough or experiential area of sorts with that sort of interior. It'd be interesting if they retail it with some emerald city themed outlets... if I recall there was some sort of beauty salon (hey, it worked in Trolls village!) as well as the straw-stuffing station for scarecrow etc etc. Perhaps some of the more specific elements would be projection, leaving retail spaces for fun themed candy or novelty stores and merch etc.

I didn't say that (although I am very much about to) - I was just noting you said munchkinland was missing when it does appear to be there. The Lethal \ Arkham courtyard has always been spitballed as a prime spot for a flat ride. Looking at the courtyard now however, they've filled what is a basketball court sized space with the Emerald City facade, munchkinland and the start of the yellow brick road, and what appears to be a poppy field. Though not pictured, I think its fair to assume the section of he courtyard we cant see backing against Scooby's ghost train section is probably going to have Scarecrow \ Tinman \ Lion themed scenes, as this would give a 360 degree storyline from the Kansas homestead, all the way to Emerald City and the Witch's castle. With so much packed into this space, i'm not sure that the area will have any room left for expansion without thematically ruining the designs. What I can see is that the walkway to the castle abuts a greenfield site that could squeeze a flat ride in without impacting too much on the studios, while maintaining the existing themed areas.

Isn't that what this part of the courtyard is?

What theme would it lend itself to particularly well? What part of the Oz story does it fit?

Like Disney, the Koala market caters for the budget conscious to the corporate or government entity!

You must be new here. oh and also... Oh, Sod off.

For as little as $10k, you can buy your very own 30 year old animatronic koala.

Yeah its a real hairsplitting challenge you've got there. The age groups you've got are whats going to make the decision hardest. Usually the younger kids are said to be far better catered for at Dreamworld with both ABC Kids and Dreamworks, whereas the teenagers are probably going to enjoy Movie World's big rides. The correct answer for me, would probably be 'do both' as you'll find each group will excel in different areas. As you've seen - even amongst folks here, there are split opinions on which one to do. If you can only manage one, i'd involve the teenagers in the decision. The younger kids might not have as much fun, but tend to be less fussy - whereas the moody teenagers are far more difficult - its better to aim to keep them pleased! Whether you do or don't get to Dreamworld - remember they have Moonlight Markets on on Friday and Saturday nights. No rides, but the park hosts a food market, outdoor cinema, and their main street store, candy shop and lego store are open for the duration - and even if you don't 'go' to dreamworld, the markets are worth a drop in for dinner with plenty of choices. (entry is $2 for adults, but passholders, or those already in the park can attend the markets free of charge).

If these guys were smart, they'd partner with QGOV to offer facilities for the olympics.

The vortex we got is what they'd planned for? Really? Because both artist render and model were very similar, and very little like the end result. We went from this: Which was very similar to the 3D model shown at launch: To this: The fact that you've seen final theme gives you that confidence but I can't fault anyone who isn't privy to those concepts to be doubtful of anything else presented in the render or the model. This was the Leviathan artwork: I'm certain we all took this with a grain of salt - especially given the substantial rockwork - and given the model differed from the artwork: But as we've all seen - Vortex did not come out as originally announced - and looking at Trident in the shot above, it isn't going to come out the same either given those giant columns surrounding the ride-base. So while i'm happy to accept your word as truth given what you've been given access to - i'll continue to remain skeptical of the end result until I see it with my own eyes... and I do look forward to being wrong...

Most councils tend to police owners of vacant blocks letting them appear too overgrown. My MIL used to operate a slashing business and she did a lot of business with builders \ developers who owned blocks of land they weren't ready to build on yet. The builders didn't have a regular schedule, they'd just ring her up every time the council sent them a notice. Can't speak for Sunshine Coast but I know for a fact that Moreton Bay, Redlands, Brisbane, Logan and Gold Coast all did much the same thing, so likely the block condition is to avoid council fines than any particular care about how the block looks...

lol. So much butthurt. Yes, luna park's long overdue investment was welcomed - my point was the statement "all the victorian parks" and the fact that you can't really use that phrase in Sydney... I've never had any inclination to visit Victoria, and for the first time, the enthusiast in me would rather visit Melbourne than Sydney.

Most construction workers don't work weekends unless there's a deadline to meet. They're not in any rush to construct - they can always silently change the date on the website if it isn't ready. If I recall correctly trident was only supposed to take about a week for construction. Tower cranes go up in a day and they're just bolt together pieces. I'd be surprised if it took longer.

Meanwhile in Sydney… zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

You’re still just speculating. haven’t we learned yet?

That's how you get ride construction funding these days.

What would Sea World do with a bunch of Koalas?

My general comment was moreso directed at the recent incompetent PR we've seen from another theme park company building a rollercoaster that is otherwise unrelated to this story.

Competent PR seems to be lacking in general.