The bill, put forward by Hill MP Shane Knuth, would establish a new “Queensland Crocodile Authority” in the northern city of Cairns, expand the circumstances in which crocodiles could be removed or killed from waterways, and even allow for safari-style hunts under Indigenous supervision.

“The Crocodile Control and Conservation Bill is necessary because North Queenslanders are angry about losing more of our recreational waterways to the increasing crocodile population,” Knuth said in his speech introducing the bill.

“The constant threat of attacks, recent deaths and near-death experiences are dramatically affecting North Queensland’s outdoor lifestyle.”

He said human deaths from crocodile attacks had risen sharply, from 10 in the 33 years from 1971 to 2004, compared to 14 in nine years between 2005 and 2014.

The bill would allow for crocodiles to be removed or euthanised if they were found in a “populated waterway” – the definition of which would be established by the Queensland Crocodile Authority.

Crocodiles would also be removed in recreational areas or on landowners’ property.

Egg harvesting limits would also be increased from the current annual limit of 5000, with Knuth citing the Northern Territory’s limit of 90,000 as a comparison.

And Indigenous landowners will be able to elect to have a crocodile on their property either removed or killed professionally – or they would be able to hunt it themselves, or offer the opportunity to “high end clients”.

“This bill will allow a tangible economic opportunity to Indigenous landowners to benefit from the fast-growing crocodile industry, which is estimated to be worth more than $100 million a year in the Northern Territory,” Knuth said.

“Indigenous landowners have a connection with and an understanding of the land. They should be empowered to manage that land as they see fit.”

The bill has received 175 submissions since it was tabled in parliament.

Among them was one from Irwin, in her capacity as director of Australia Zoo.

She did not hold back, calling the legislation “lazy and sloppy” and criticising the figures cited.

“All the current research shows that the limited availability of crocodile nesting sites in Queensland severely restricts the annual increase and spread of crocodile populations,” she said.

She said “inflated” numbers of increasing crocodile sightings mentioned by Knuth neglected to consider that often, they included multiple sightings of a single animal.

Irwin also warned that the bill would increase the probability of crocodile attacks.

“Through our research of crocodile movements and the probability of crocodile-human interactions, the removal of crocodiles, either through trapping or culling, will instead increase the likelihood of crocodile attacks as people believe the lie that once a crocodile is removed from a waterway then there will be no crocodiles,” she said.

“Research has consistently shown that when a crocodile dies or is removed, then another crocodile immediately comes in to take over that territory.

“Because of this reality, the bill will not eliminate or even greatly reduce the risk of crocodile attacks.”