General News
5 August, 2025
Croc survey priority for safety
A COMPREHENSIVE survey of all local waterways to determine how many saltwater crocodiles are present and changes to regulations allowing landholders to remove problem crocodiles from their property should be the State Government’s focus, according to Member for Cook David Kempton.
Mr Kempton made the comments following the rejection of the Katter’s Australian Party’s Crocodile Control and Conservation Bill by a parliamentary committee.
The Bill sought to address the community’s concerns about increased crocodile numbers and sightings in populated areas in the Far North and was also advocating for the establishment of a Queensland Crocodile Authority to be based in Cairns.
Mr Kempton said Mareeba was facing a unique problem whereby saltwater crocodiles now exist in waterways where they previously did not.
He said some “quite large” crocodiles were being found in popular swimming holes in creeks and rivers, as well as in channels and dams throughout the region, posing a significant risk to humans and livestock.
“Notwithstanding the current crocodile management plan and the committee’s findings, I will continue to advocate for a comprehensive survey of all the Tablelands waterways, including the Barron and Mitchell Rivers and tributaries, to locate and identify all estuarine (saltwater) crocodiles and remove them pursuant to Zone F of the current management plan,” Mr Kempton said.
“I would also like to see changes to the regulations allowing landholders to be licenced (with conditions) to remove problem crocodiles where they pose an immediate threat to people, such as at irrigation pump stations.”
Mr Kempton specifically did not support the KAP Bill’s proposal to include “culling and trophy hunting” as crocodile management tools.
“The problem with Katter’s Bill, as I see it, is by simply reducing the population of animals by culling does not solve the problem in the Mareeba district where crocodiles need to be removed, not reduced in numbers,” he said.
“The concept of trophy hunting a protected native animal, which is an iconic apex predator, as a control method is unworkable. Quite apart from the fact that Katter does not appear to have consulted with Indigenous leaders about the hunting of a totem species, trophy hunting as a means of removing problem crocodiles faces many challenges.
“For example, how is a trophy crocodile identified, who issues the licence, which traditional owner group are allowed to hunt and where, who gets the proceeds, who selects which crocodile is shot and if it’s the right one and who polices the process.
“Large crocodiles in the wild pose little risk to humans, and trophy hunting is incompatible with populated areas.
“The thought of a big game hunter marching down four-mile beach at Port Douglas in khaki pants with a high-powered rifle is not exactly the tourist experience we seek to promote.”
But Member for Hill Shane Knuth has rejected any suggestion that the Bill would have allowed any game hunting in tourist areas.
“That is completely delusional given that the Bill only allowed for the Queensland Crocodile Authority to authorise a set quota for Indigenous landowners to bring in high paying clients to harvest selected crocodiles for economic benefit to the indigenous communities,” he said.
“A far cry from the free-for-all shooting sessions in tourism areas the Member for Cook has implied.”
Mr Knuth further criticised Mr Kempton’s view, saying his comments were contradictory.
“He states that numbers need to be reduced, yet he’s completely ruled out culling,” he said.
“Which is not only contradictory, but reveals he is not engaged with his electorate, and instead has opted to tow the party line.”
Ultimately, Mr Knuth was “disappointed, but not surprised” the Bill was rejected. He condemned the parliamentary committee’s “weak recommendations” of more croc signs, be “croc wise” and better education as the “solution” rather than supporting the Bill.
