Jungle perch returns after a 20-year absence
Fish are already returning to Petrie Creek thanks to a fish staircase that allows native fish to move upstream.
council worker holding a small tank with a jungle perch in front of the fish pathway
Native fish are wasting no time making use of a newly completed fishway in Nambour and are already returning to Petrie Creek.
The Petrie Creek fishway has been designed to help fish move past long‑standing barriers, reconnecting them with critical breeding and feeding habitat upstream.
Proof the project is working
Monitoring undertaken shortly after completion recorded juvenile Jungle Perch on consecutive days – a key indicator species that signals improving river health.
The fishway mimics a natural stream bed, allowing fish to move upstream for most of the year instead of relying on major rainfall events.
two men standing on the fishway
petrie creek
jungle perch in tank
jungle perch
research sign
Funded through the Australian Government’s Natural Heritage Trust, the project is part of the Reviving Petrie Creek initiative, restoring connectivity and improving biodiversity in the Maroochy River catchment.
The completed fishway is the first step in a broader program to reconnect the river system.
What's next
Next, works at Mill Street are expected to begin in mid‑2026. Once finished, the combined projects will open up more than 200km of habitat for native fish.
That means healthier waterways, stronger ecosystems and better outcomes for the Sunshine Coast community.