More than 1750 homes are slated to be built across Maitland and the Lower Hunter as part of a major rewrite of the NSW planning rules.

The overhaul of the existing laws that shape the delivery of housing and infrastructure will give the three-person Housing Delivery Authority the power to send major residential development proposals on a faster route to approval that bypasses local councils.

The government introduced the landmark legislation yesterday. Key reforms to the 45-year-old Environmental Planning and Assessment Act include the creation of a single "front door" for development assessments instead of dealing with up to 22 different government agencies.

More than 20 large residential developments in the Hunter have been put forward to the Housing Delivery Authority.

Of those,

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