The request to council staff, raised as a general business item by Labor councillor Daniel Wallace, stems from Pokémon Go’s use of real locations to encourage users to venture out to catch the virtual “pocket monsters”.

“I think we need to Pokémon-proof ourselves. It’s linked with Google Maps, so a lot of the locations it uses are based on Lake Macquarie signs,” Cr Wallace said. 

“If there’s a Pokémon on or near the edge of the lake, it’s a concern if people are going to wade out to catch it.”

Cr Wallace wants the council to contact the app’s creators Niantic – a company spun off from Google, part-controlled by Nintendo – to safeguard against Pokémon-related accidents.

During the discussion of the council’s business committee, a prized Pikachu entered the room.

The meeting erupted with laughter and Cr Wallace saw the funny side of the Pokémon intrusion, but said reports of users wandering across busy roads in Japan made him wary of potential accidents in the Hunter.

Since the augmented reality app launched in Australia earlier this month, Lake Macquarie City Council has keenly embraced the possibilities of users seeking Pokémon in the area, albeit while remembering “to be alert at all times”.

“With eight Pokéstops and a Gym in the one location, Speers Point Park has quickly become a popular haunt for Lake Mac trainers,” reads a section of the council’s website. 

“If you need to refuel after a battle, you can even grab a bite to eat in the park at Sal’s by the Lake.”

The app doesn’t enjoy such support from every local council.

The City of Canada Bay Council in Sydney’s Inner West this week called for the removal of one of the city’s most popular Pokéstops from a local park.