Newcastle councillors have demanded the state government to stop work on the recently approved Minmi Estate development on the city's western fringe.
The Hunter Central Coast Regional Planning Panel recently approved Winten Property Group's 858-lot residential subdivision at Woodford Street.
It came despite significant community and council concerns about urban sprawl and environmental destruction that is expected to result from the project.
Tuesday's council meeting unanimously supported a motion that reiterated its previous concerns about Winten's current and future proposed work in the city between Fletcher and Minmi.
The motion said the works suggested a disregard for the potential significant impacts on the local community.
"We do not support the 2013 outdated concept plan that was approved by the Department of Planning for that DA," Ward 4 Councillor Elizabeth Adamczyk said.
"(The council) reiterates the outdated 2013 concept plan approval for the site does not meet community expectations and contemporary planning instruments available in 2024. Therefore, (the council) calls on the NSW Department of Planning to heed council and community concerns, immediately halt the development assessment process and revise the proposal in accordance with contemporary planning expectations and instruments."
The council also supported the need for an urgent traffic investigation into the operation and capacity of Minmi Road, including potential funding mechanisms, to service current and future populations across a range of transport modes.
Cr Adamczyk said she had been inundated with concerns about road closures that were occurring in preparation for the works that are under assessment.
The already heavily congested Minmi Road, which can add 30 to 60 minutes to a commute that should take five minutes, has now reduced from a single lane, two way road to one lane of traffic.
"This is just inadequate. I think it is incredibly important that we revise what has been seen as projected and acceptable in the past [but] is just failing to accommodate the needs and everyday use that is happening now," Cr Adamczyk said.
Lord mayor Nuatali Nelmes said the council had previously tried to have Minmi Road classified as state significant.
"The motion does encompass areas where we can work to investigate better outcomes for how that road network is laid out in a multi-modal way," she said.
"That for me is one of the key points of seeing what are the costs of any changes, who might pay for them and how that road network is managed into the future given the size of the increasing population over the coming years."
The Department of Planning and Winten Property were approached for comment.
A town meeting will be held on Saturday June 29 to discuss the project's impacts.
The meeting will commence at 3pm at the Progress Hall, Woodford Street Minmi.
