Calls For Common Sense Croc Management

My Katter’s Australian Party colleague Shane Knuth MP recently introduced a Crocodile Management Bill into Queensland Parliament, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. With the recent floods, crocs are turning up in places they weren’t before, making our waterways even more dangerous. For too long, we’ve been losing our pristine swimming holes and favourite recreational spots to these apex predators whose population goes completely uncontrolled.

Here in Hinchinbrook, we love fishing and the outdoors. It’s frustrating to be constantly told to be “croc wise” and to watch our behaviour. It feels like the government is more concerned with managing humans than managing crocs. That’s why I strongly support Shane Knuth’s bill. It puts the safety of humans first by calling for practical measures to reduce crocodile numbers in populated areas.

Crocodile control isn’t about wiping them out, it’s about restoring balance. The bill proposes targeted removals and common-sense management strategies that protect our right to safely enjoy our waterways. This includes the establishment of the Queensland Crocodile Authority, a local body based in Cairns, which would take full responsibility for crocodile management across the state.

I’d like to see the State Government get behind this bill and start listening to the communities that live with this problem every day. It’s easy when a majority of our politicians live in the south-east to ignore important issues like this in the North. It’s not an unreasonable request to just want the freedom to swim, fish, and relax without constantly looking over our shoulders.

Submissions on the bill are currently open until the 3rd of April 2025. For anyone wishing to make a submission, you can do so through the Queensland Parliament website. A public briefing will be held on the 2nd of April in Brisbane with a public hearing to follow on the 21st of May 2025.

Contributed with thanks to Nick Dametto MP Member for Hinchinbrook

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