In February, the council passed retrospective rules regarding height restrictions that affected about 700 properties in Lake Macquarie.

At last week's meeting councillor Jason Pauling argued each property below the three-metre Australian height standard and at high risk of flooding should be examined firsthand by councillors.

However, deputy mayor Daniel Wallace rebutted the motion. He said the council only needed to view contentious development applications, and councillors had the right to call up a development application to address it any time.

Cr Wallace said Cr Pauling's recommendation "added too much red tape".

The motion lapsed when councillors voted against it 9-3.