Theme park builds roller coaster with £1.5m government cash earmarked for koala research

Dreamworld theme park has been given $2.7m - around £1.5m - to spend on a koala research center ...but used it to build a high-intensity roller coaster instead

The money was spent on the roller coaster (

Image: 9news.com)

Theme park bosses who received more than $2.7m (£1.5m) in cash from the government to set up a koala research company have 'redirected' the money to erect a high-speed roller coaster instead.

The move, which has angered environmentalists, was given the go-ahead by Queensland Minister of Tourism and Innovation, Stirling Hinchcliffe.

He said the government had given the go-ahead for the reallocation, citing the need to boost international and local tourism in the region due to the impact of the coronavirus.

The funding was originally awarded to Dreamworld on Australia's Gold Coast in 2019 to support the establishment of a new state-of-the-art koala research facility.

The money was to be spent on the koalas (

Picture:

9news.com)

This would have given guests an insight into scientific conservation methods.

The money was instead used to build the theme park's Steel Taipan roller coaster.

The Dreamworld website described the ride as "Australia's only triple-launch ride with a top speed of 105km/h and a G-force of 3.8".