A distressing video has emerged showing dozens of wallabies violently throwing themselves against a chain-link fence in a far north Queensland suburb.

Cairns Regional Council said it installed fencing around the wallabies as part of ongoing maintenance and development in the area, but said it was up to the State Government to relocate the animals.

Animal welfare activists said the wallabies had been left in the area for nearly a year as development continued around them and were starving from lack of food.

The video, filmed by Cairns residents, shows the macropods hurtling themselves at the fence near the Centenary Trinity Beach Bulldogs AFL Club grounds as a woman and her two dogs are seen passing the enclosure.

Far north Queensland biologist Martin Cohen said extreme stress, or stress myopathy, could be triggering the behaviour.

"Down the track, in the next few weeks, they'll get things like muscle damage and brain damage," he said.

"A lot of veterinarians that deal with macropods will also understand this, so I'm not convinced that putting up these target fences is a great option."

Michael Beatty from the RSPCA said the panicked behaviour could have been triggered by the dogs seen walking in the video off the lead.

Mr Beatty said barking dogs or young people chasing kangaroos and wallabies for fun could trigger extreme stress in the animals.

He said Cairns Regional Council officers could step in to monitor the area and fine anyone walking their pets off the lead.

"Sometimes you get some young people who unfortunately think it'll be fun if they scare the wallabies and maybe that's what's causing them to slam themselves into the fence," he said.

"If that's the case then something needs to be done about that."

Mr Beatty said educating the community on how to live peacefully with native animals was key to ensuring people knew what to do in similar situations.

'Wallabies are starving to death'

Australian Society for Kangaroos president Nikki Sutterby said it had been a traumatic experience for locals caring for the animals.

"Hundreds of wallabies were trapped inside the fenced AFL park and many of those kangaroos died trying to escape, smashing themselves up against fences," she said.

A wallaby hits the fence with great force as a person behind the fence lets a dog off the lead. ( Facebook: Patty Villegas )

Ms Sutterby said people walking their dogs off the lead through the grounds was an ongoing issue the council had failed to address.

"They've got no habitat so they're starving," she said.

"They're extremely stressed, they're at risk of myopathy and this is to do with the fact their land has been given full commission to be bulldozed for development."

Ms Sutterby said volunteers caring for the animals at Trinity Beach had reported 80 wallaby deaths in the past two weeks.

Cairns Regional Council CEO John Andrejic said they had no authority take action on wallaby population management.

"However, council did provide support to a community organisation seeking approval to relocate wallabies from Trinity Beach," he said.

"The State Government subsequently declined to issue a permit for this activity.

"Council has installed additional fencing to try to reduce the number of wallabies making it on to the roadway.

"Council's animal management officers continue to monitor suburban areas and to respond to issues of dogs off-leash. Fines are always considered a last resort."

The Department of Environment and Science said wildlife officers were aware of the video and were making enquiries into the welfare and behaviour displayed by the wallabies.

A spokesperson said the department had provided advice to council and other groups about how to manage the wallabies under Queensland's nature conservation laws and would consider any application to relocate wildlife, but stressed moving macropods was challenging.