The State Government is inviting experienced crocodile handlers to help remove crocodiles from the Cairns region.

Minister for Environment and Heritage Protection Andrew Powell said croc experts were being asked to submit expressions of interest for the removal of crocodiles from waterways from the northern bank of Trinity Inlet to Ellis Beach. The Douglas region was not included in the State Government’s plan.

“The contract will be for a 12 month trial period, after which we will see what further action is needed,” Mr Powell said.

“This is a move the government foreshadowed months ago, and it has the support of the community through the North Queensland Community Advisory Group on Crocodile Management.

“We will be targeting all crocodiles, regardless of size, from the northern bank of Trinity Inlet up to Ellis Beach and will include Lake Placid, the downstream area of the Barron River and Chinaman’s Creek.

“We will continue to implement the crocodile management plans in all the other areas.

“While this is crocodile habitat, it is also an area where 160,000 people live and tourists come to visit.”

EHP crocodile rangers captured a three-metre crocodile in Thomatis Creek, north of the Cairns CBD, last Sunday night and have trapped a 2.5m crocodile in the Barron River this week.

“Crocodiles cannot co-exist with people in this highly populated area and they have to go," Mr Powell said.

Member for Barron River, Michael Trout, said the Newman Government’s plan to manage North Queensland’s crocodile population has always had public safety as the top priority and welcomed assistance from trained, experienced crocodile catchers with a proven track record who can remove crocodiles humanely.

“We can’t say for certain how many crocodiles there are in a given area at any particular time, as the crocodile population, particularly at this time of year, is quite mobile,” Mr Trout said.

“However, we do know there would be dozens in some parts of these waterways. This will be a big task, which is why we are asking private operators to help us to make our waterways safer.

“We can never declare any waterway in croc territory to be completely free of crocodiles or completely safe for recreational purposes, but this is a big step in the right direction.”

Mr Trout said the people who were to be selected to remove the crocodiles would have the skills, training and equipment to catch, remove and transport large crocodiles safely.

“Our preference is for the captured crocodiles to be re-located to a crocodile farm or zoo, but we will consider suggestions from respondents to the expression of interest,” he said.

Expressions of interest are open for two weeks, with the 12 month contract proposed to start by the end of October.

Further details are available at https://secure.publicworks.qld.gov.au/etender/index.do