The Newcastle City Council wants dust monitors installed in all affected suburbs.

The council last week voted to call on the state government to install dust monitoring equipment to measure fine particles around the port and make the data available to the community.

It was one of a number of initiatives aimed at improving infrastructure and transparency around the port, put forward in a motion raised by Greens councillor Michael Osborne.

The council unanimously approved the motion.

Cr Osborne said dust monitoring devices were quite cheap. He thought a roll-out of devices should happen within the next few months.

Cr Osborne said the monitoring would show high levels of coal dust in the air, levels that could exceed legal limits on some days.

Correct Planning and Consultation for Mayfield Group chairman John Hayes said he was quite happy overall with the council's decision to move ahead with the initiatives.

He said, as a resident, he had noticed the dust seemed to be getting worse.

"It settles on windowsills and furniture, it affects washing on the line, but the real worry is what is it doing to us health-wise?"

He said dust monitoring equipment would keep the authorities accountable.

Newcastle state MP Tim Owen said he was keen to see improved dust monitoring.

He said he would broach the issue with the ports minister Duncan Gay when he met with him in the next week.

Suburbs earmarked by the council to receive monitoring include Stockton, Carrington, Maryville, Tighes Hill, Warabrook and Mayfield.

Monitoring devices are already in Newcastle, Wallsend and Beresfield.