More than 250 people attended a meeting at the development site along Merrivale Road, Kellyville, earlier this month.

Most were residents, the others were Blacktown City councillors, federal and state MPs and representatives of the development company.

Residents said the development was too big for local infrastructure and would lead to traffic and safety problems. They said it would devalue their properties.

Developers want to build a 268-apartment complex with 23 shops.

Hawkesbury MP Ray Williams said the Rainderra Pty Ltd development application was for a site zoned for no more than two to three storeys. ``The council rejected a previous application for this site,'' he said. ``Now there's an application which is five to six storeys above what's permissible for this site and the developers have said they're not willing to compromise on height.''

A residents' representative, who asked not to be named, said the developers needed to think of the bigger picture. ``They've taken care of their business and looked after their part of the world but no one is looking at the big picture,'' he said.

People moved here for detached homes and semi-rural living, Mr Williams said. They didn't move here for this type of development.''

Blacktown councillors have refused to be on a regional planning panel which will decide whether to approve the development. They say such membership will ``tie their hands and shut them up''.

Joint Regional Planning Panels were introduced by the NSW Government in July to make decisions on regionally significant developments, such as those valued over $10million.

These panels comprise five representatives: two council-appointed and three state-appointed. This means any council members could be easily out-voted.

Councillor Alan Pendleton said: ``The role of a councillor is to represent the community. On these panels the hands of a councillor are tied behind his back.''

Hawkesbury MP Ray Williams said the Kellyville Ridge development application was the first development of such magnitude to be assessed by a panel in the area. ``It really is quite a test case,'' Mr Williams said. ``Regional planning takes away the right of councils to raise objections about inappropriate developments in their areas.''

The Opposition spokesman for infrastructure and planning, Brad Hazzard, told those at the meeting to make their voices heard loud and clear,'' he said.