Katter’s Australian Party has introduced the Safer Waterways Bill 2017 to State Parliament today in a bid to make it mandatory to remove rouge crocodiles from populated waterways.
Under the bill, problem crocs would either be euthanised or relocated to croc farms, in line with the LNP policy announced earlier this month.
KAP Member for Dalrymple Shane Knuth said the bill also called for the creation a Cairns-based Qld Crocodile Authority to ensure an economic return on each croc by making full use of meat, skins and teeth, and providing egg harvesting permits.
“The Authority will issue permits for crocodile egg harvesting in Queensland, and to landholders to manage crocodiles on their own land.
“Crocodiles can be a great asset for Queensland, and this bill sets up a way to create a thriving industry for Queensland’s economy.
“Egg harvesting already exists in the Northern Territory and has shown that it doesn’t wipe out the croc population. Instead it boosts the economy.
“The bill also ensures that any crocs that are killed by the authority are not wasted. As much of the carcass must be used as possible, whether that be selling teeth, meat and skins, or using unsaleable parts of the crocto make blood and bone.”
Mr Knuth said the Queensland Crocodile Authority would report to the Parliament and receive recommendations from a newly created Board.
“The Board will be set up with members who are experts in crocodile management, including from Indigenous communities, conservation backgrounds, and people involved in recreational water sport groups in North Queensland to make sure we have people who know what they are talking about making recommendations to the authority,” he said.
Mr Knuth said the Bill empowered Indigenous and other landholders to manage crocodiles on their own land.
“Indigenous people should be able to manage their own land, and this bill will mean that when it comes to crocs, they can do just that,” he said.
While the bill ensures rogue crocodiles be removed, it also has a provision to ensure that no action be taken that could endanger the species’ existence in Queensland.
KAP said it had consulted extensively in the creation of the bill, including public consultation meetings in Burketown, Normanton, Cairns, Mareeba, Innisfail and Port Douglas.
KAP State Leader Robbie Katter said the Bill was about much more than killing crocodiles.
“It’s about saving lives, it’s about crocodile management, it’s about turning crocodiles into an asset for Queensland and creating an industry out of this currently untapped resource,” he said.
