Plan to manage crocodiles on the Hinchinbrook Coast

The Newman Government has announced a new estuarine crocodile management plan for the Hinchinbrook Coast that puts the safety of people first.

 Minister for Environment and Heritage Protection Andrew Powell said it was a local plan for local people.

 “The Newman Government is taking the concerns of local residents and visitors to far north Queensland very seriously and is making community safety the highest priority,” Mr Powell said.

 The new program sets up a three tier approach, similar to that adopted in the Northern Territory. 

 The highest tier aims to proactively remove all crocodiles from designated areas and actively prevent more crocs from entering those zones (Zone 1).

 Physical barriers such as weirs, rock walls, gates and fences are needed to stop crocodiles entering such sites as such the Hinchinbrook Council has agreed such zoning is inappropriate for their region at this time

The second tier (Zone 2) will see crocodiles more than two metres in length, and any smaller crocs showing aggressive behaviour, removed from designated areas.

At the request of the Hinchinbrook Shire Council, Zone 2 areas will be created at Forrest Beach, Lucinda Beach and Taylor’s Beach.

All saltwater crocodiles two metres or longer in the vicinity of boat ramps at Taylors Beach, Forrest Beach, Cassady Beach and Mona Landing will also be removed.  

 The third tier (Zone 3) will see ‘crocodiles of concern’, those which have displayed threatening behaviour, removed.  This applies to all areas that are not Zone 1 or 2.

 Mr Powell also announced funding support to Council to maintain their swimming enclosures and offered support to Surf Life Saving Queensland in implementing the crocodile management plan's objectives.

  “The Newman Government has listened to the concerns of Queenslanders in the far north and has acknowledged the increasing interaction between crocs and people rather than stick to the ‘one size fits all’ approach of the previous government,” he said.

 “We have worked with local councils to come up with location specific plans to get the balance right between public safety and conservation of crocodiles.

 “Individual Crocodile Management Plans have been developed for the Cairns, Hinchinbrook, Cassowary Coast and Townsville local government areas.” 

 Mr Powell said the government had also listened to the views held by all four councils that management efforts had to be backed up by strong public education and would be expanding the Crocwise program.

 “This is a ‘can-do’ policy on managing crocodiles that has come after consultation with local councils and is based on both local knowledge and scientific evidence.

 “Northern and central Queensland is crocodile country, and there could be large and potentially dangerous saltwater crocodiles in any waterway or body of water.

 “That is why it is important to always be croc wise in croc country.”

 Be Croc Wise and:

 •     Obey crocodile warning signs

•     Never swim in water where crocodiles may live

•     Never stand at the water’s edge or on an overhanging log, stand a few metres back for fishing or cast netting

•     Never provoke, harass or feed crocodiles

•     Never leave food scraps, fish frames or bait at the water’s edge, near a camp site or boat ramp as this may attract crocodiles to the area

•     Always supervise children

 Further information on crocodiles and being Crocwise is available at www.ehp.qld.gov.au 

 [ENDS] 19 December 2012

Media Contact: Ken Vernon 0431 027 017