Queensland crocodile cull plan supported by some councils, slammed by conservationists

On George Adil's cane farm in Far North Queensland, the day-to-day of life and work keeps him busy.
It means he doesn't always have time to be vigilant of crocodiles on his Mareeba property, inland of Cairns, especially when he has to get into the river to service his irrigation equipment and pump by hand.
"It is definitely worrying when you have to get into the river," he says.
"I'm focused on farming, and I'm focused on the next problem."
He believes saltwater crocodiles have been an increasing problem since a major flood in 2000, now leading a petition to expand an existing crocodile removal zone.
He says, aside from the impact on his farming, he and his family have also had to stop swimming in the Barron River.
Mr Adil is supportive of a proposed bill, which would allow crocodile culls and removals in populated areas.
But says decisions about the management of the species should be made by those who live in crocodile country.
The proposed legislation from Katter's Australian Party, which would also allow Indigenous groups to run safari-style hunting trips, is currently being examined by a Queensland parliamentary inquiry.
At a public hearing held in Brisbane today, it received support from some local councils, who say more needs to be done.
Speaking at a public hearing into the bill on Wednesday, Mareeba Shire deputy mayor Lenore Wyatt said Mr Adil was far from alone in his frustration with crocodiles.
She says it was taking to long to remove crocodiles or obtain the permits needed to move them — including within an existing special zone "F" where saltwater crocodiles are already removed upon sighting.
Councillor Wyatt says in one case a farmer had contacted the state environment department in January about a large crocodile in his dam, but had yet to have it removed in June.
She says this slow response time highlighted an "urgent need for reform".
Councillor Wyatt told the committee it's believed crocodiles had not been native to the area, and instead had ended up in the area's waterways in the 1990s after escaping a crocodile farm.
She said this made it a "unique" situation, and was urgently calling for more to be done regarding crocodile management.
"We're not asking for crocodile eradication, but we are asking for a more responsive and place-based approach to crocodile management," she said.
Crocodiles were hunted to the brink of extinction in Queensland prior to the 1970s.
Saltwater crocodiles are currently considered a threatened species and are protected.
The Department of Environment estimates there are between 20,000 and 30,000 salt and freshwater crocodiles in Queensland waterways.
Further south, the Whitsundays Regional Council says it's also dealing with growing crocodile populations.
The Proserpine River has the largest population of saltwater crocodiles along the east coast.
It's also supportive of the bill and moves to address numbers, and to make it easier to get permits to move crocodiles.
"Crocodiles are an important tourist attraction for the Whitsundays," council's natural resource management and climate manager Scott Hardy told the committee.
"They can also be a hazard as well."
He says crocodiles are regularly sighted offshore at Airlie Beach as well as occasionally off Whitsunday Islands, and a growing population in popular tourist locations is causing concern over the risk of "inevitable" crocodile interactions with tourists and residents.
Like in Mareeba, Mr Hardy says council is struggling to relocate crocodiles due to the length of time it takes to obtain permits to do so.
He is also supportive of a better way to record crocodile sightings, such as by using a QR code, and is calling for better education and more frequent surveys.
Meanwhile, conservationists including Bob Irwin and the Environmental Defenders' Office (EDO) appeared at the inquiry to speak in opposition of the bill.
Mr Irwin, who founded what would go on to become Australia Zoo, said he'd been working with crocodiles in the wild and captivity for more than four decades.
He said over that time he and his son Steve had worked hard to get into their heads and understand them.
Mr Irwin said he was "frustrated" to once again hear calls for crocodile culling, describing it as a "pointless exercise".
He told the committee he was concerned that as large crocodiles were extremely territorial, killing one or removing it would simply lead to smaller ones, with potentially worse behaviour, replacing them.
Mr Irwin said he wasn't against moving crocodiles away from areas where people exercised their dogs or from waterways near a boat ramp, but said he remained concerned about crocodiles returning to their own territory.
He also called for more education, saying most deaths around crocodiles occurred due to human recklessness and was scathing of people who filmed themselves getting close to crocodiles.
For Queensland premier David Crisafulli, it was human safety which had to come "first absolutely".
"I'll always say that. We also have to balance good environmental outcomes and that's why everyone should have their say on this bill," he said on Wednesday.
The committee will deliver its final report in August.

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Daily Telegraph

18 hours ago

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Meet our NSW farming blue bloods

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'And in the 1980s, around 50 per cent of Australian bananas came out of NSW. These days NSW produces about 3 per cent of the market, with 95 per cent from Queensland. 'Basically they had access to cheaper land, had lesser regulatory burdens and they don't have the winters we have. It really helped grow their industry up north.' But Shoker is determined to keep embracing tradition. 'We've had three to four major floods since Covid and over the years a lot of older producers might have said 'that will do us' and be forced off the land,' he said. 'I'm 37, that's not an option, but regardless of the challenges I just want to grow bananas and feed people. The attraction for me is that we can make a real difference to people's lives. The Big Banana in Coffs Harbour. Picture: Getty Images 'There's something really rewarding in knowing that something you're growing is a healthy product, that we look after the environment, and we're leaving behind a good legacy.' Shoker's parents bought an 8 hectare section of the farm in 1991, with the family expanding the landholding with a 2008 purchase after Paul graduated from university. A business degree, with majors in accounting and finance, lead the father of four children under the age of six to approach farming from an efficiency perspective. 'We saw the need to diversify,' he added. 'So we harvest all year round with avocadoes making up for the lesser demand and production of bananas over winter. 'The unique thing about bananas is that they're a wholly domestic market. All the bananas grown in Australia are also consumed here. It's pretty special.' CHESWORTH FAMILY When a millennial drought threatened their business, opportunity emerged from adversity on the Chesworth dairy farm near Dubbo. Industry tradition had rarely been challenged. Dawn and dusk milking, twice a day, cups on, cows were happy, job done. But in 2007 as grazing grasses continued to wilt and hand feeding was needed to keep the herd nourished, Erika and Steven Chesworth brainstormed ways to reverse declining profits. 'We started milking three times a day,' said Erika. 'Cows are like women. The more you take, the more they make. Erika and Steven Chesworth on their dairy farm in Rawsonville, near Dubbo. Picture: Clancy Paine 'So we were actually able to increase production by about 18 per cent in that first year. 'The cost input was a little more electricity to run the dairy and a few more kilograms of grain a day. But not only did we save our business we were able to turn things around really quickly. 'You get more out of your investment milking your cows more often. Back in the day mum and dad milked just morning and night. It's just what the industry did. 'But we needed to try something fast and it worked.' According to Erika, it makes for more contented cows. Given the couple are both sixth generation dairy farmers, her opinion is based on experience. 'We know more about them now in terms of feeding, nutrition, and we know it actually improves their health when they're getting milked more regularly,' she said. The Chesworths have 1000 milking cows on 970 hectares after moving to Dubbo from the Hunter Valley more than 20 years ago. Steven Chesworth, Erika Chesworth, Campbell Chesworth, Emma Elliot and Grace Duncan at Little Big Dairy. Picture: Clancy Paine They produce 11 million litres of milk a year, with half of it processed for their own line Little Big Dairy – created in 2012 – and the rest distributed to a major Australian dairy retailer. 'We control the Little Big Dairy product from start to finish, from milking through to processing and into the bottle,' said Erika. 'It is single source milk and each of our cows are tagged, so we can trace their health and their production, it's a really intimate process. 'One of the lovely things about the dairy industry is that we have lots of contact with the animals. 'Our large herd of Holsteins were born and raised on our farm. Each of them has a name. We know them all by sight.' Steven and Erika can trace their family trees back to the 19th Century, to farm holdings in the UK. 'We're pretty tragic – because it's all dairy heritage,' Erika says. 'But Steven and I feel privileged to be able to help feed the nation. We take that really seriously.' It's also a tradition set to continue. Two of the Chesworths adult children, Emma and Campbell, work in the business while a third, Duncan, has bought his own dairy farm in Victoria. BRIGHENTI-BARNARD FAMILY Jo Brighenti-Barnard is a warrior for the citrus industry. As NSW Farmers' Horticulture Committee chair, she frequently agitates on behalf of growers, waging battle with governments and major supermarkets. Earlier this year as inflation numbers started to drop, Brighenti-Barnard demanded to know why fruit and vegetable prices had been going the other way. 'Data shows that consumers are still paying through the nose to put food on the table while most farmers aren't receiving any greater returns for what they're growing,' she told media. 'Without price transparency, the major supermarkets are still likely to … extract huge profits from farmers and families alike.' The defiance is driven by her love for the land and the fruit her family has been growing just outside Griffith in the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area, since her great-grandfather planted the first trees in 1913. Together with her parents, husband Philip, and brother Bart, Ms Brighenti-Barnard works a 450 hectares landholding that delivers an annual citrus production – primarily naval and juicing oranges – of around 5000 tonnes. Eighty per cent is exported to South-East Asia and the USA. 'I've grown up on the farms we're still running and there's a real feeling of pride in doing what we do,' the mother of three says. 'I laugh and tell friends that most of us can't keep pot plants alive, but I'll give credit to my brother, he manages to keep all these trees alive and in good health through heatwaves and floods. 'It's in your DNA, there's a real intuition you develop. It comes from experiencing it season after season, building on that every year as you put a little more of the pieces together. 'I do love it…especially this time of year where all the fruit is fully coloured and on the trees. 'You go out there and just see this sea of bright orange and gold amongst this forest of green … and you see the bins full of fruit … it gives you a real sense of achievement.' But off the farm there is also work to do as the committee chair warrior persona returns. 'Availability of irrigation water has been reduced, productivity levels are going backwards because our prices have been squeezed as costs rise, and levels of debt are an issue,' Ms Brighenti-Barnard added. 'We need governments to listen.' Do you have a story for The Daily Telegraph? Message 0481 056 618 or email tips@

ABC News

a day ago

• ABC News

'Chaotic signals' from Queensland government causing uncertainty and wavering investor confidence in renewable energy sector

Queensland renewable energy and conservation groups say there's uncertainty and wavering investor confidence being caused by the state government's mixed messages on energy policy. The Crisafulli government has committed to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050 and made it clear it backs pumped hydropower, wind and solar projects. But decisions to extend the life of publicly-owned coal-fired power stations beyond 2035, expand gas exploration and call in certain wind farm projects has raised concerns. The Queensland Conservation Council said the government had created "energy policy chaos", which was impacting large scale renewable energy investment. "The Queensland government is all over the shop on energy right now," campaigner Stephanie Gray said. "All of this sends chaotic signals to investors and basically it sends the signal that investors should take their money to other states. "If we're not building new energy supply, it means that we're not managing power bills, we're not bringing down emissions and critically, it means we're not doing the planning to make sure the renewable roll out benefits nature and communities." A recent member survey by industry body, the Queensland Renewable Energy Council (QREC), found low levels of confidence in current state government policies regarding investment certainty. About 26 per cent of respondents "strongly disagreed" with the statement that the Queensland government's policy settings effectively promoted investment certainty in renewables. Thirty-three per cent "disagreed" and 35 per cent were "neutral" in response to the statement. More than 45 members took part in the survey with more than a third identifying as renewable energy developers and operators. QREC chief executive Katie-Anne Mulder said two surveys had been conducted since last September and the results showed a drop in positive sentiment regarding investment certainty. "So what do investors need — they need clarity on what is the road map for Queensland, where do renewables sit in that, as well as to be really clear, what's the role of coal-fired power?" She said. "I think we all acknowledge we need a responsible transition, but what does that mean in terms of the time frames for shutting down the coal fired power stations? "An investor — whether it be domestic or international — they're going to be looking at those time frames because they want to ensure they have a strong market signal for long term investment in Queensland." Energy Minister David Janetzki rejected that the state government wasn't being clear with its energy policies in regards to renewables. "I think our energy position is actually clear," he said at a press conference in Toowoomba last Friday. "We want to bring communities along in relation to those renewable projects, but I send clear messages as energy minister that I want to see more investment, particularly from the private sector into renewables projects. "There are significant projects that are necessary and on the books with respect to renewables." He pointed to the CopperString transmission line project in north-west Queensland, proposed wind farm projects in Hughenden and the Borumba pumped hydro project near Gympie. Mr Janetzki is working on a five-year energy road map to chart the state's path to net zero which is due for release by the end of the year. It's a document widely anticipated by the energy sector with the plan expected to detail what renewable energy mix the state will need to reach net zero and when coal-fired power stations could close. The former Labor government previously committed to ending reliance on state-owned coal fired power generators by 2035 — and proposed turning them into renewable energy hubs. But Premier David Crisafulli made it clear during the election campaign in October, an LNP government would continue to keep coal generators running for longer. State-owned clean energy company CleanCo chief executive Tom Metcalfe said there would come a time when the state's coal-fired power stations would need to be wound down. "But eventually as we think of the energy transition and as the coal units come to the end of their lives, we need to have a plan." CleanCo runs the state's only operating pumped hydro power station at Wivenhoe Dam near Brisbane. The LNP has flagged gas will play a key role with coal as the state transitions to lower carbon emissions, and wants to tap into the state's vast gas reverses. Gas exploration and generation will be expanded, and additional projects such as a gas peaker at Kogan Creek and two gas-fired generation projects are being progressed by CleanCo and Stanwell. Before the state election last October, the LNP pledged to scrap legislated renewable energy targets — to reach 50 per cent renewable energy by 2030, 70 per cent by 2032 and 80 per cent by 2035. Earlier this year, Mr Janetzki tasked the newly-established Queensland Productivity Commission to review energy policy, productivity and emissions by September 1. It will review the Clean Economy and Jobs Bill and Renewable Transformation Act — which includes the state's three emissions reduction targets. The LNP says the state has already met the target to cut emissions by 30 per cent on 2005 levels by 2030, and remains committed to reach net zero by 2050. But that means the target of reducing carbon emissions by 75 per cent by 2035 is in doubt. Ms Gray said if the state government ditched emissions targets, it would be breaking an election promise to Queensland voters. "The Crisafulli government was elected after they showed bipartisan support for Queensland's emission reduction targets, and what we're seeing right now is them walk away from those commitments," she said. "It would be really disappointing for the Crisafulli government to break their promise to Queenslanders and if they keep going down this track, they won't be able to meet either emission reduction target." Adding to the uncertainty has been recent planning law changes to wind farm developments and a number of projects being called in by the planning minister Jarrod Bleijie. The changes — introduced in February — require wind farm development applications to be subject to impact assessments, therefore requiring statutory public consultation and third party appeal rights. In May, the Moonlight Range Wind Farm proposal in central Queensland was axed by Mr Bleijie, citing a lack of community consultation, limited worker accommodation availability and environmental impacts. Changes to planning laws are also being considered by a parliamentary committee, which could make it harder for any renewable energy project to apply for state approvals such as requiring a social impact assessment and a community agreement with local councils. Ms Mulder said since the law changes there had been no new wind farm project applications in Queensland. "Investors like to see really clear goal posts, what's the assessment process look like," she said. "At the moment there's a bit of wash going through, where we're not quite clear on what the end product looks like, is this the end of reforms for the sector? Or halfway through? … So it's a little up in the air for our members at the moment." Ms Mulder said the changes before parliament would also impact renewable projects given the work needed to complete the assessments and council agreements. "If this bill goes through, there's no doubt that there will be delays to projects that I would expect would be upwards of 12 months," she said. Mr Janetzki said it was important renewable energy projects had community confidence and support before being approved. "Those reforms are all about getting that community consultation right, impact accessible must be part of that," he said last Friday. "In the same way that any large scale project seeks community responses and consultation, it's appropriate it be done for renewable projects too, so that's what that bill is all about delivering." Grattan Institute's energy and climate change program director Tony Wood said it was clear during the state election the LNP was going to reshape Queensland's energy plan if it won government. He said the sector expected the uncertainty to be clarified at the end of year, once the road map was released. "I think right now there's a lot of messiness, it can be resolved, and I'm hoping it will be resolved by the government. "But in the short term, all the things that we're referring to, make it uncertain, unclear, impose more risks, risks mean more delays, more delays mean more cost."