Plans to host Olympic rowing in Rockhampton for the 2032 Brisbane Games are pushing ahead despite months of debate over the Fitzroy River's suitability, including its status as a crocodile habitat.
The International Olympic Committee this week signed off on the river to host rowing and canoe sprint events, following an independent technical assessment, endorsed by World Rowing and Paddle Worldwide.
The technical assessment has not yet been released publicly.
The Queensland government says Rockhampton passed "with flying colours", but the decision has still drawn international media attention.
North and Far North Queensland are regions known as "croc-country".
Rockhampton and the Fitzroy River fall into this region, but have "exponentially" fewer crocodiles than northern areas like the Cape York Peninsula.
Modelling from the Department of Environment and Science in 2019 recorded about 0.2 crocodiles per kilometre in Rockhampton.
Applying this ratio to the Fitzroy River would result in about 96 crocodiles total.
John Lever has been catching, nurturing, breeding, showing and selling crocodiles from his central Queensland farm since 1981.
The Koorana Crocodile Farm owner said the crocodile concerns were just a media beat-up.
The crocodile expert also dismissed reports the river was home to 500 crocodiles and said that figure was "about 50".
However, University of Queensland crocodile expert, Emeritus Professor Craig Franklin, said it was a "foolish and misguided decision" to host the rowing event in croc country.
Premier David Crisafulli said the river's endorsement from World Rowing and Paddle Worldwide had proven doubters wrong.
World Rowing president Jean-Christophe Rolland said the results showed the river could provide "fair competition conditions".