A council has been criticized by locals after it put up a confusing sign telling visitors where they can take their dogs at a popular park in the area.
The sign was recently put up at Bong Bong Common Park in Bowral, in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, with dog owners calling its instructions “stupid”.
An image of the sign posted to Facebook shows that on the left side there is a green arrow pointing left toward a grassy area of the park, along with a message that says “Dogs Allowed.”
The other half of the “No Dogs” sign has a red arrow pointing toward the adjacent parking lot.
A symbol of a dog surrounded in red with a line through it ensures that the instruction cannot be misinterpreted.
A sign (pictured) posted at Bong Bong Common Park in Bowral, in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, has caused confusion among dog owners who have branded it “stupid”.
Dozens of locals who commented on the Facebook post said the sign was not only confusing but they also didn’t understand why it was necessary or practical.
Many wondered how dogs should be transported between permitted and non-permitted areas.
‘How stupid our world has become. God, what did they do back then without all these rules? one person commented.
“I need a head scratching emoji,” another person wrote.
“A waste of money,” declared one local.
A Wingecarribee Shire Council spokesperson explained to Daily Mail Australia why the sign was necessary.
The sign was placed on the boundary line to indicate lands managed by the council, on the one hand, and lands managed by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), on the other.
“As that car park is situated on NPWS land, we needed to put up signs prohibiting pets on NPWS land,” the spokesperson said.
Many wondered how dogs should be transported between permitted and non-permitted areas (file image)
According to the NPWS park signage manual, boundary signs are used to “define regulatory boundaries on land or water.”
The symbols on the sign are designed to warn people that disobeying the instructions it displays is an offense under the National Parks and Wildlife Act.
“The signage is self-explanatory,” the spokesperson said.
Dogs and other pets are not allowed in New South Wales national parks and reserves as there is a rule to protect native plants and animals.
In some regional parks in New South Wales, some visitors, such as people with disabilities, may be allowed entry with a trained assistance animal.
The sign was placed on the Bong Bong Common Park boundary line (pictured) to indicate lands managed by the council and lands managed by the National Parks and Wildlife Service.