Thursday, 19 Februrary 2026

Georges Riverkeeper held its General Meeting on Thursday 19 February 2026 hosted by Fairfield City Council. It was a very full agenda with a variety of interesting presentations. 

A fascinating presentation about fish in the Georges River was given from Dept Primary Industries and Regional Development. The Committee heard that the Georges River supports a variety of native freshwater fish, including Australian bass, estuary perch, gudgeons, catfish, eels and the endangered Macquarie perch. Although Macquarie perch have not been recorded in the river for around 50 years, eDNA techniques have helped detect their presence. Fish movement between freshwater and estuarine areas is supported by the fishway at Liverpool Weir, which is currently being upgraded by Liverpool City Council. Introduced freshwater species include European carp, redfin, gambusia, goldfish and tilapia. The estuary is home to key recreational fish species such as flathead, yellowfin bream, whiting, mulloway and seasonal kingfish. Commercial fishing ended about 30 years ago, leaving the area primarily for recreational fishers. These predatory species rely on smaller baitfish, including glassfish, yellowtail and hardyhead. Mulloway numbers, which had previously declined, are now showing strong signs of recovery, supported by stocking and monitoring efforts. NSW has stocked 214,000 fish in the Georges River, with tracking studies used to monitor movement, survival and predation. Tagged fish fitted with small transmitters help researchers understand life expectancy and assess the value of stocking programs. Aquatic habitat mapping is also being carried out using aerial photography and AI to identify mangroves, saltmarsh, seagrass and seaweed, with data available through the Estuarine Habitat Dashboard. Across NSW, mangroves are expanding at the expense of saltmarsh, while marine biosecurity teams continue to investigate invasive species reported by the public.

A second presentation at the meeting was given by the Georges River Environmental Education Centre. Julie-Ann Sheridan presented on her role as Principal at Georges River Environmental Education Centre (GREEC) and explained that there is a new NSW syllabus in Science and Technology, and HSIE Geography, are giving students more opportunities to learn about natural environments, sustainability and ways to protect local natural resources. With support from Georges Riverkeeper, the Georges River Environmental Education Centre has developed teaching resources focused on the Georges River, local creeks and waterways. These lessons help students understand the challenges facing the river in an urban environment. The resources aim to build students’ confidence and skills to take positive action, including creating environmental campaigns and learning about active citizenship. Resources are available for Years 1 to 4 and Years 7 to 8 at https://georgesriver.org.au/learn-about-the-river/school-students.

Fairfield City Council also presented during the evening and outlined that the council’s Community Strategic Plan includes goals focused on protecting the natural environment, increasing tree canopy, maintaining habitats and encouraging environmental awareness through community participation in education programs. Current programs supporting these goals include National Tree Day, the Weeds Action Program, the Flying Fox Habitat Restoration Program and Georges Riverkeeper’s Brown Reserve ecological restoration site. The Biodiversity Strategy and wider environmental initiatives also involve community groups such as Fairfield Community Nursery and Fairfield Indigenous Flora Park. Education workshops, long-term programs and strong community involvement were highlighted, including the planting of 8,000 native trees and shrubs on National Tree Day.

In addition to these presentations, the Georges Riverkeeper team presented Program reports and updates on Grant projects. And, Sydney Water provided an update on stormwater and wastewater management, including how flows are managed at residential and precinct levels. The presentation explained the role of the Malabar Wastewater Treatment Plant, including its treatment of wastewater from Western Sydney, and how the system operates during both wet and dry weather. The update also covered circumstances where treated flows may be discharged to the Georges River when they cannot be transferred to Malabar. Sydney Water outlined its improvement program, future roadmap, environmental incident response processes and reportable incidents. Recent incidents included sewer chokes, which are small and variable sewer overflows, and a frogbit infestation at the Liverpool treatment plant. The frogbit response involved aerial spraying, removal, on-site burial and a four-year bush regeneration contract. Sydney Water also released its latest 12-month Aquatic Monitoring report, including data for the Georges River.