Ah yes, thanks that John q, I was thinking of another.
I too doubt I've met a co**head CASA FOI, well, perhaps one was a bit strange a few years back, I gave him the nickname "three dogs", cos everyone else has two dogs see. He has long gone from CASA.
The problem with flying charter below 500' AGL is that so often the pilots who do it have found the job as their very first job, are not trained to handle down wind problems and they crash with spectacularly horrific results. (bungle bungle flight not long back)
So, unless there is a dispo to do a particular charter as a joy flight B500' I will join the chorus of saying the flight is illegal and should be jumped on by CASA who would be acting irresponsibly if they did not...
As far as your South American gators are concerned
afaik they are very much like our fresh water crocodiles, complete and utter pussy cats compared with the real ones, our salties. These animals are protected in the wild except for hazard reduction and licensed egg collection which is now done in a steel cage lifted by helicopter with egg collector inside, but still their population has exploded, thus many people are being taken by them. It is a most irksome situation as virtually no northern fresh water waterhole is safe, all rivers are unsafe.