Queensland’s Katter Australian party MPs are threatening to block the upcoming state budget, unless the Palaszczuk government culls crocodiles.

The Mount Isa MP, Robbie Katter, said he and fellow KAP MP Shane Knuth will block the budget unless the government supports their legislation to establish crocodile safaris in far north Queensland, along with other management strategies.

“People think it’s unreasonable making threats on the budget, well how else do you get people to listen?” Katter told reporters in Cairns.

“Our obligation is to go down there and vote for the interests of north Queensland, and if people are dying and you can’t get them to listen, what are you supposed to do?”

Queensland’s Labor government relies on the crossbench in the hung parliament, in particular the KAP, for support to pass supply bills. It follows a number of incidents involving crocodiles in Queensland recently.

A 35-year-old spearfisherman was killed by a crocodile south of Cairns last month, while a teenager was mauled in the same area a few days later. Wildlife authorities killed a four-metre crocodile in response to the fisherman’s death.

The KAP’s proposal includes managed culls, egg collection and movement strategies.

In particular, they are calling for local Indigenous groups to run safaris for tourists, as a way of generating income while keeping crocodile populations in check.