Go up the creek with a paddle

Grab your kayaks and heads to Gold Coast’s northern suburbs to help a charity clean up a popular fishing spot.

Fishing conservation charity Oz Fish is running a clean-up day for Saltwater Creek on Saturday, July 6 and residents are being urged to help.

Saltwater Creek flows from the Nerang National Park through Helensvale to Coombabah Creek and then out to the Broadwater.

The charity is hoping to remove 2 tonnes of waste, restore 3 hectares of creek bank and remove one barrier to fish movements.

The year-long project is funded by the Australian Government’s Urban Rivers and Catchments Program and is supported by the City of Gold Coast and BCF – Boating, Camping, Fishing.

Katie Broadfoot, an OzFish Project Officer, says that urban catchments like Saltwater Creek, which stretches from Nerang State Forest to the Coomera River, are a vital part of Australia’s ecosystem.

“Saltwater Creek supports a number of migratory fish and bird species, such as mangrove jack and the endangered far eastern curlew, that will benefit greatly from this project,” said Ms Broadfoot.

“Throughout the catchment area, there are hundreds of barriers to fish passage, with three in Saltwater Creek being in the top 50 for remediation in the Gold Coast region.

“By improving one of these barriers, it means fish will be able to move to the places they need to breed and grow.”

“By combining all these elements like removing waste, re-vegetating stream banks, and improving fish migration, we hope to restore connectivity to the catchment that has been lost over the years.”   

To register to help out, please go to: Ozfish