Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Maitland, Cessnock and Wyong have been earmarked as priority councils, for which the government wants land-use and development plans devised quickly.

The government says the urgency is because it wants to address concerns about land-use conflicts between coalmining, coal seam gas and farming.

Key mining areas Muswellbrook and Gloucester have already delivered local environment plans.

‘‘[Plans] in a number of other council areas in the Hunter have also been identified as priority local environment plans, including Cessnock, Lake Macquarie, Maitland, Newcastle and Wyong,’’ a Department of Planning and Infrastructure spokesman said.

He said the areas were priorities because they were economically important, or were expected to experience high growth.

Newcastle, Maitland and Cessnock’s plans were ‘‘well advanced’’ and set to be finished this year, but Lake Macquarie and Wyong now looked more likely to be completed in 2012.

Lake Macquarie mayor Greg Piper said the government was continuing a ‘‘bad decision’’ by its predecessor to request Hunter plans at the same time as other priority councils in Sydney.

Port Stephens’ land-use plan is on track to be finished next year, and the government is working with Upper Hunter and Great Lakes councils ‘‘to determine appropriate timeframes for completion’’.

The government is conducting a major review of the Lower Hunter Regional Strategy to cope with a projected population increase of 160,000 by 2025.