Latest news with #Mareeba
ABC News
15 hours ago
- General
- ABC News
Queensland croc attack survivor speaks out in support of removal, culling
A father who survived an attack by a 4.5-metre saltwater crocodile is among hundreds of Queenslanders calling for the reptiles to be removed or culled from a Far North river. Marco Tiraboschi was fishing on the bank of the McIvor River, 300 kilometres north of Cairns on the Cape York Peninsula, when the crocodile lunged at him and pulled him under the water. "Both he and I were breathing heavy, with my foot in his mouth," he said of the November 2021 attack. "I took a breath and we went under together. Mr Tiraboschi said he did not resist due to the risk that the croc would go into a "death roll". Instead he waited until the croc exposed its flank and stabbed its neck with his hunting knife. The animal let go and a terrified Mr Tiraboschi, who had two punctured ankles, was fully clothed and carrying a backpack, swam for his life. Mr Tiraboschi takes responsibility for being in croc country that day, but he is one of 500 residents and farmers from the town of Mareeba who have signed a petition calling for the removal of crocodiles from the Barron River. Mr Tiraboschi was attacked in a separate waterway hundreds of kilometres away, but he and the other petitioners are arguing that crocodiles are not endemic in their area. "They have to removed and if they can't be removed, they will have to be culled," Mr Tiraboschi said. The Barron River is classified as zone F in the crocodile management plan, which indicates that crocodiles are "atypical" in the area and should be removed immediately. Those in support of the petition argue crocs are encroaching on agricultural land and want zoning changes to ensure immediate removal of problem crocodiles. Mareeba Shire Council Deputy Mayor Lenore Wyatt said crocodiles had crossed the Mulligan Highway, from the Mitchell to Barron River, and were threatening farmers. "We would really like to see more action than six months [of] chasing a crocodile in a farmer's dam," she said. "Agriculture is the highest contributor to our economy and what we're seeing now is a farmer having to check his foot valves … for a crocodile who's showing aggressive behaviour." A Department of Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation spokesperson said the presence of a 3.5m crocodile on farmland was confirmed in January but the animal was believed to have moved back to the Mitchell River. The presence of an estuarine crocodile in the Barron River had not been confirmed, the spokesperson said. The Crocodile Control and Conservation Bill, which would legalise culling, will be before state parliament again next week. Gimuy Walubara Yidinji man Neven Reyes spoke at the last public hearing of the bill in Cairns and said crocodiles had "their identity and purpose for a reason". "It's sad to see this creation seen as dangerous, because they don't take as much life as other things do," he told the hearing. "Scientists know, when you move a crocodile, you could take it across the world — he'll come back, he'll find his way home." A public hearing and briefing on the Crocodile Control and Conservation Bill will be held in Brisbane on June 11.
News.com.au
a day ago
- Business
- News.com.au
Dams, mini golf, water park: Buy a whole camp in Far North Qld
Can't afford a house? A camp as Aussie as a kangaroo on a trampoline has hit the market in Far North Queensland. Camp Paterson in Mareeba has been listed for sale by expressions of interest, and sits on 11.19ha of freehold land with a host of activities designed for school camps or corporate bonding retreats. Now, let's talk accommodation. We're not talking about your average swag here but rather platform safari-style cabin tents and separate digs for the teachers and supervisors. There is also a commercial kitchen for whipping up enough tucker to feed the grub to feed the ravenous ankle biters or a slap-up dinner for the more refined palettes of the corporate crowd. But the real ripper is the activities. With five dams on-site, there's more water-based fun than you can shake a didgeridoo at! From an inflatable water park course to swimming, canoeing, fishing, and even raft building, there is no shortage of activities away from the social media screens. Other activities could include orienteering, obstacle courses, damper making, survival shelter building, and mini golf. It's a fair dinkum playground where students can unleash their inner Crocodile Dundee and hone their skills. For those with a bit of entrepreneurial spirit, this is a golden opportunity to keep the good times rolling with a proven and well-regarded business. Listed with Colliers agent Stacey Quaid, expressions of interest close on July 8. 'Buyers have the unique opportunity to continue on operations as an educational and recreational school camp facility or use the substantial existing infrastructure to broaden the current business offerings,' the listing says.
ABC News
4 days ago
- Business
- ABC News
Australian growers aim for 'specialty coffee' status as price of international beans rises
In homes and cafes around the country, millions of Australians start their day with the same morning ritual: a strong cup of coffee. Over the decades, the culture has shifted towards quality and specialty blends. But still only a tiny fraction of the six billion cups of coffee Australians consume each year is produced at home. Growers believe that can change. "Australia — and tropical north Queensland specifically — has a lot of the variables needed to grow great coffee," Queensland coffee farmer Jemal Murat said. "I think the market has a curiosity about what we're doing now, and they can taste it. "The proof is in the pudding." Far North Queensland accounts for 85 per cent of Australia's coffee production. Mr Murat's 70-hectare Arabica coffee farm is in Mareeba, in the Tablelands region. The Tablelands produces about 800 tonnes of coffee beans a year. To put it in perspective, Brazil — the world's largest coffee-producing nation — grows almost four million tonnes of beans annually. "We're not getting ahead of ourselves. The scale of our production is tiny compared to the level of imports Australia receives," Mr Murat said. The Tablelands grower is working with Griffith University's School of Environment and Science to elevate Australia's domestic coffee industry. Researcher Dr Fawad Ali believes Queensland could become as renowned for its coffee as southern Australia is for its wine. "We need to upgrade the coffee industry to the level of the wine industry, where flavours can play a significant role in broadening the market for Queensland-produced coffee," he said. The project helps local producers improve bean quality to achieve "specialty coffee" status, a shift that could dramatically increase the value of their crop. Although much of northern Australia is within the global "coffee belt" — between the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn — the Tablelands has the rich soil, elevation, and reliable rainfall that's ideal for growing coffee. Dr Ali is developing new coffee varieties tailored specifically for this region. He's also looking for less resource intensive ways to grow coffee and enhance its flavour. "We're seeing a serious impact from climate change on major coffee-producing regions around the world, including Brazil, Colombia, Indonesia, and Vietnam," he said. As coffee prices rise, Dr Ali believes improving domestic production could make Australian-grown beans more competitive — especially in the specialty market. Rod Greenfield is the CEO of a Melbourne specialty coffee roaster that supplies beans to hundreds of cafes around the country. All their beans come from overseas, but Mr Greenfield can see that changing. "We've been interested in Australian coffee for a long time," he said. "I did my first trip to a coffee farm in northern Queensland over a decade ago … realistically, the coffee wasn't specialty enough at that point." Mr Greenfield's company has been working closely with growers in the project to improve the flavour of their beans. In March, they showcased a small selection from the Tablelands at the Melbourne International Coffee Expo. "They blew people away with the flavour of coffee that's now able to be produced in Australia," Mr Greenfield said. "At that show, we were voted Australia's favourite coffee roaster … and I'm pretty sure that the Australian coffee we showcased had something to do with that."
