Brenda Carlson has seen a number of tortoises killed by traffic during the past few weeks and now she wants to create a safe haven for them.

“I’ve seen three tortoises dead on the road at the one time and something has to be done. As a ratepayer I want to see my money go more towards conservation and protecting the environment rather than roads and rubbish,” Ms Carlson said.

Mating season for tortoises will continue for the next month with males becoming more active in their search for a mate.

“These tortoises can travel up to 15 kilometres looking for a mate but without a road sign people are not aware they are here,” Ms Carlson said.

“And road signage is effective because it makes motorists slow down and scan the road to see if there are any animals nearby.

“These tortoises live here and they deserve to be safe.”

Maitland City Council has asked Ms Carlson to submit an official request for the signs.

“This is a seasonal thing and the tortoises are on the move now because it’s breeding season so this may be a case of putting a general wildlife sign up reminding motorists to be on the look out,” council planning and environmental manager David Simm said.

“But basically we just need a formal request so we can go through the processes.”

Ms Carlson said she would continue to lobby for the signs.

“I don’t think a couple of signs are a lot to ask for. This may not seem like a major issue but it’s an important one because these tortoises are getting killed,” she said.

“Maitland has such a large, native animal population and we need to protect it.

“You can’t prevent every death, I’m not saying that, but we have to do something.”

If you see an injured tortoise phone the Wildlife Rescue Service on 0418 628 483.