Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has opened up the possibility of revisiting her government’s crocodile management plan after a man was attacked in the state’s far north.
The man was bitten on the head by a crocodile, believed to be around two metres long, while snorkelling off Lizard Island on Sunday and was treated for minor cuts.
It follows a string of crocodile attacks in northern Queensland in recent months, including one fatality, but Ms Palaszczuk has again ruled out any culling program as suggested by Katter’s Australian Party.
‘We’ve got strict measures in place here in Queensland that protect people … from sharks, and we have to have, I think, stricter measures in place to protect people from crocodile attacks,’ Ms Palaszczuk said on Monday.
‘I’m not talking about culling, I’m talking about a more responsive approach.
‘The current crocodile management plan was only released last month and has been defended by Environment Minister Steven Miles multiple times as “the strongest crocodile management plan the state has ever seen”.
KAP has threatened to block the upcoming state budget unless the government supports its proposal to introduce a crocodile cull, safaris and egg collection.
However, they would have to convince the Liberal National Party opposition, which does not support a cull, but has criticised the government’s plan as not being proactive enough in removing problem crocodiles before they become a threat.
KAP state member for Dalrymple Shane Knuth said the last thing Queenslanders needed was a review.
‘The time for talk is well and truly over,’ Mr Knuth said.
‘We need real action in the form of a controlled cull now to put a stop to the attacks, which seem to be multiplying by the day.’
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