Rockhampton Water Ski Club to make submission on Fitzroy River rezoning

A water ski club will push for all crocs to be removed from the recreational area of the Fitzroy River, explaining they have lost 40 per cent of their membership because of safety concerns.

Rockhampton Water Ski Club President Peter Darby said the club would be lodging a submission to call for the recreational area of the river to become an active removal zone. Picture: DES

A Rockhampton sporting club on the Fitzroy River says they’ve lost 40 per cent of their memberships because of safety risks associated with crocodiles in the waterway.

It comes just over a year since a Rockhampton rowing regatta was forced to be postponed because of crocodile sightings, and the State Government now seeking public feedback on an updated crocodile management plan draft.

Rockhampton Water Ski Club President Peter Darby said the club would be lodging a submission to call for the recreational area of the river to become an active removal zone.

He said safety concerns on the water with the reptiles around had contributed to a decline of memberships.

“We’ve lost about 40 per cent of memberships,” he said.

Rockhampton Water Ski Club President Peter Darby said the club would be lodging a submission to call for the recreational area of the river to become an active removal zone. Picture: DES

“We’re going to put in a strong submission supporting the active removal because the viability of all recreation on the river is dependent on people feeling safe and wanting to use the river.”

Mr Darby said he knew of someone who had lived near the river for many years and that they had never seen recreational use of the waterway so quiet.

“They said it’s the quietest amount of traffic that has ever occurred since living there, we’ve never known it to be so quiet,” he said.

“We want to see recreation grow on the river, not decline.

“We have the support of Mirani MP Stephen Andrew who has been supporting us right from the get go since we called for the rezone.”

The draft plan proposes the rezoning of lagoons adjoining the gardens, in the Rockhampton Regional Council catchment, from the current Zone E general management zone to become a targeted crocodile removal zone.

According to the draft plan, Zone C and D would merge and become a targeted crocodile removal zone where all large crocodiles, and any crocodile displaying dangerous behaviour, would be targeted for removal.

The area around Pink Lily is regularly used for recreational water skiing, rowing and paddling and is mapped under Zone C on the Queensland Crocodile Management Plan.

In Zone C, any crocodiles confirmed to be present that are 2m or larger are targeted for removal.

Independent candidate for Rockhampton and former mayor Margaret Strelow said she supported submissions to have the zoning of the recreational area of the river upgraded.

Mrs Strelow said she agreed with the position that any crocodile seen within the ski and rowing area should be removed.

“It has never sat well with me to know that our athletes and school children are placed at risk when they are enjoying our recreational stretches of the river,” she said.

“I think we need to be clear about which areas to which the new ruling might apply. I can understand the strong arguments and legitimate arguments about the need to respect a species that were here long before we were.

Independent candidate for Rockhampton Margaret Strelow.

“But the recreational area of the Fitzroy River (upstream from the Barrage) it’s not easily shared when there is a constant risk of rowers being overturned in the water.”

In the last year two crocodiles have been removed from waterways in the Rockhampton and Livingstone regions.

In July last year a large 4.5m crocodile, believed to be the animal responsible for the postponement of a rowing regatta, was removed from the river more than a month after a floating trap for the croc was set.

In May this year a 2.5m crocodile was removed from Coorooman Creek at Zilzie after rangers described it as “highly habituated” and approaching boats for food.