LNP snaps to it in croc plan

THE LNP’s crocodile management plan exclusively revealed to the Cairns Post today is a nice chomp down the middle.

It sits somewhere between Labor’s policy which has received much criticism in the Far North in the past couple of years and the KAP’s more hard line approach of shoot ‘em up.

The policy, to be unveiled by Opposition environment spokesman David Crisafulli today in Cairns, appears to bring a sense of urgency to much of the State’s guidelines already in place.

However, they are committing to reacting quicker — within three days, unlike Labor which promises within three months. They also don’t care about the size of a croc if it’s in an urban area.

That means that if it’s sighted, it’s relocated but if capture is out of the question, that pesky reptile is going to die. For those who frequent freshwater swimming spots or like to stroll along a beach like Palm Cove this will likely appeal.

However, as we’ve heard many times, just taking away an animal doesn’t mean absolute safety in crocodile country.

The most criticism levelled at Labor’s management has been that they’re too slow to react. And the government website, which we’re told should be the bible for crocodile information, is often unreliable.

Organisations like Surf Life Saving Queensland are under pressure as parents refuse to let their children become the nipped rather than the Nippers because they and the rest of FNQ don’t have faith in either the practice or theory of the existing croc management policy. We don’t have real numbers on crocs yet but then action speaks louder than words. Jennifer Spilsbury Editor