Panboola Wetlands gets grant to help visitors, their pets, and the wildlife

With the installation of dog management signage in the sensitive wetland environment, further knowledge will teach the public the importance of conserving and protecting the bird habitat of more than 100 species and other indigenous flora and fauna.

Michelle Richmond, project coordinator for the Pambula Wetlands and Heritage Project, said there have been quite a few people who enjoy having their dogs off-leash, but there were some strict guidelines on where they were and were not permitted.

"Conservation is our primary outcome, so we're really wanting to make sure this is a safe haven for all our native wildlife that call Panboola home, [including] plenty of kangaroos, hundreds of different bird species, lots of water dragons that get close to the pathways, and a couple of resident red belly blacks," Ms Richmond said.

"Not only are we doing this to protect our animals, we're hoping it would help our people's pets be protected so they're not wandering off into the long grass where there might be something that will give them a little nip."

Ms Richmond said they currently had a red-bellied black snake alongside the path at the main entrance, and the installation of the signs provided an opportunity to show how wildlife needed protection from us, and some of us needed protection from them.

"The general rule - for dogs - is not through any gates, mainly sticking to the concrete paths and not out on to the racecourse.

"And while we know it's not the majority of people, it makes it much easier for our volunteers around the site to come and enjoy being here and not police other people," she said.

"We often have temporary signs that are just laminated and we want to get away from that and get some consistent signage across the whole site, so we're really excited," she exclaimed, before explaining how a local member of the community nominated the wetlands project for the grant.

"I haven't actually got the metal signs yet, but they are still being made, but they are going to be here shortly."