But plans for the Ingleside Precinct have raised concerns among nearby residents about the threat of bushfires and the safety of evacuation routes.

Verity Hinwood's property at Elanora Heights was destroyed by bushfires that devastated the area in 1994, yet she said the concerns of residents living outside the Ingleside Precinct had not been properly taken into consideration.

"Our principle concern is our ability to evacuate in times of bushfire," she said. "We are also concerned about the lack of public transport, increased traffic on Powderworks Road and stormwater run-off into Narrabeen Lake."

The Draft Land Use and Infrastructure Strategy issued by the Department of Planning and Environment proposes 40 per cent of Ingleside will be available for the development of about 3400 homes: "Not all areas of the precinct are suitable for urban development due to ecological constraints, bushfire risk and infrastructure servicing."

The DPE suggested housing in Ingleside would include homes on small lots, semi-detached homes and townhouses "near places of activity or public transport".

Community centres, privately operated childcare centres, a primary school, medical centre and more than 15 hectares of playing fields, parks and cycling and walking paths are also proposed for the new suburb.

Ms Hinwood, a member of the Garigal Deep Creek Residents Association, and her neighbours have good reason to worry about bushfires.

The 2010 Bush Fire Risk Management Plan for Warringah Pittwater describes the likelihood of bushfire at several locations on the northern beaches, including Ingleside and Elanora Heights, as "almost certain", with catastrophic consequences and extreme risk.

But the draft strategy said: "Despite risks to some areas, the precinct is capable of accommodating future subdivision and urban development, provided appropriate bushfire protection measures are implemented."

An RFS spokesman said it had been working with the DPE since 2014 to ensure the Ingleside Precinct complied with protection measures set out in the 2006 Planning for Bush Fire Protection framework.

"Councils and the Department of Planning and Environment regularly consult the NSW RFS in relation to growth areas, new planning proposals and new subdivisions," he said.

However, a report commissioned by the the Garigal Deep Creek Residents Association said: "There has been insufficient consideration given to the impacts such a significant increase in population would have on the ability of existing residents to evacuate the bushfire affected land in an emergency."

Ms Hinwood said she and her husband had been trained to be members of a community fire unit.

"We need to be able look after ourselves as the Ingleside RFS only has two trucks," she said. "In the event of a big bushfire with units helping from other areas, they would be reticent to come down our street as they do not know the area and there is no other escape route if they get trapped."

"The Rural Fire Service constantly remind us that it [is] a matter of when not if a bushfire will threaten us," she said.

Plans to develop Ingleside - a 700-hectare site sandwiched between the urban areas of Bayview and Elanora Heights and Ku-ring-gai Chase and Garigal national parks and bisected by Mona Vale Road - stretch back to the mid-1960s, with the "precinct" process under way since 2013.

Brendan Nelson, the DPE's deputy secretary of Growth, Design and Programs, said planning in the area had already considered issues including bushfire risk, road infrastructure, stormwater, drainage and flooding.

"We know Mona Vale Road will need to be upgraded to two lanes in each direction, which will occur in two stages - Mona Vale Road East and Mona Vale Road West," he said.

"This upgrade will improve access to the precinct and improve the accessibility to public transport. Measures will also need to be taken to reduce traffic on Powderworks Road and traffic will be encouraged to use the upgraded Mona Vale Road."

Northern Beaches councillor Vincent De Luca said residents were right to be concerned about bushfire risks and overdevelopment.

"Naturally, residents' concerns as to safety over bushfire hazards, the need for infrastructure and for a genuine commitment to ensuring sustainable development and stopping overdevelopment is essential," he said.

"Wider infrastructure will also be needed for surrounding roads and suburbs as due to overdevelopment in Warriewood and Dee Why, the Northern Beaches is choking and in traffic chaos."

Cr De Luca's concerns were echoed by the federal member for Warringah, former prime minister Tony Abbott, who called last week for a halt to land rezonings and major development until necessary infrastructure was built.

Ms Hinwood said she would like the density of some of the proposed development reduced to low-density housing.

"We are not against the development of Ingleside," she said. "We would like to see the medium density housing in the appropriate areas - closer to the proposed new town centre and Mona Vale Road."