An engineer appointed to certify Dreamworld's Thunder River Rapids ride did not believe it was a "big issue" if regulators looked at his report on the ill-fated attraction.
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Engineering consultant Thomas Polley drafted a report deeming the ride mechanically and structurally safe after an inspection in September 2016.
Less than a month after examining the ride, four guests died when a malfunction led to two rafts colliding and flipping.
At an inquest on the Gold Coast, Mr Polley said Dreamworld never provided him maintenance documents or log books for the 30-year-old ride.
That was despite him marking "no faults found" next to a checklist entry for the log book on his report.
James Bell QC, for Dreamworld, asked Mr Polley if the primary purpose of his appointment was to provide a reference for workplace health and safety officials that the ride's compliance had been checked.
"Whether the regulator looks at it or not is not a big issue for me," Mr Polley told the Southport Coroners Court on Wednesday.
Mr Polley said while the lack of documents was "disappointing" and could have led him not certifying the ride, he felt he had a "professional obligation" to Dreamworld and had been assured by employees that maintenance work was being undertaken.
Cindy Low, Kate Goodchild, her brother Luke Dorsett and his partner Roozi Araghi, all died in the October 2016 tragedy.
Barrister Toby Nielsen, for the Araghi family, put it to Mr Polley that the lack of any logbook should have meant he couldn't issue a certificate for the ride due to non-compliance of the Work Health and Safety Act.
"I don't agree with that because the ride to me was structurally and mechanically safe," Mr Polley said.
Mr Polley was also unaware the ride had been built in-house by Dreamworld and he wasn't sure if he'd witnessed the ride in operation, the inquest heard.
He said his inspection did not include the ride's electrical components as he wasn't qualified to inspect them and he'd advised Dreamworld would need a separate consultant to check those aspects of the ride.
Dreamworld supervisor Scott Ritchie told the inquest he'd only been notified of the first of three malfunctions on the day of the tragedy.
The ride's south water pump tripped three times on October 25, 2016 and Mr Ritchie said if he'd been told of the second malfunction he would have investigated further.
"Had I been aware of the second trip, I believe I may have taken action," he said.
Mr Ritchie agreed with counsel assisting the coroner that not being notified of the second breakdown by his staff was a significant failure of park procedure.
After giving his evidence, Mr Ritchie gave an emotional statement to victims' families including an apology for not making eye contact.
"I have to give evidence without emotion," he said.
"Please accept my sympathies for everything you're going through."
Australian Associated Press
