Ardent Leisure has suffered an almost A$50 million first-half loss after writing down the value of its Dreamworld business by more than A$90m following a slump in visitor numbers after last year's fatal accident.
The company's A$49.4m loss for the six months to December 31 compares to a A$22.7m profit for the same period a year ago.
The disappointing result follows a A$93.6m writedown to the value of Dreamworld's property and equipment in the wake of last October's accident which killed four people.
Ardent's theme park's business, which also includes the adjacent Whitewater World, recorded a A$16.6m slump in its first-half revenue to A$41.8m as the Gold Coast parks and their rides were closed after two men and two women died when a raft flipped on the Dreamworld - and WhiteWater World - remained closed for 45 days and many of its key attractions did not reopen until weeks later after undergoing multiple safety checks. The Thunder River Rapids ride has been closed permanently.
Visitor numbers have been significantly lower since the tragedy but the company remains upbeat about the theme park's long-term prospects and expects a boost from next year's Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.
