NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has taken another step in her bid to drive down immigration rates into the state, appointing an "expert panel" to assess the current rate of population growth.

Key points: The panel will report to the Premier within two months

The panel will report to the Premier within two months It will asses population growth rates, infrastructure and advise the Premier on immigration policy

It will asses population growth rates, infrastructure and advise the Premier on immigration policy Today's announcement comes after the Premier said NSW should slash its overseas migrant intake by up to 50 per cent

Highlighting what she said was the pressure immigration was putting on the infrastructure of "the largest and most successful state in Australia", Ms Berejiklian this morning said it was time to "take stock and get ahead".

"NSW's economic success is attracting a far greater share of total immigrant numbers than it has in the past," she said.

"We are in the midst of an unprecedented infrastructure boom in NSW.

"But it is clear that despite a record infrastructure pipeline, Sydney and NSW are still playing catch-up."

Immigration has become a prominent issue for Ms Berejiklian, with the Premier raising it on multiple occasions as congestion, housing affordability and urban development look set to become hot topics ahead of next year's state election.

Earlier this month she suggested NSW should slash its overseas migrant intake by up to 50 per cent, returning it to Howard-era immigration levels.

Traffic congestion is a major issue for voters in Sydney. ( ABC News: Luke Rosen )

She renewed that call this morning, and said the review, provided by the panel, would allow NSW to take a "strategic approach" to planning around population.

Ms Berejiklian also pressured Prime Minister Scott Morrison on the population issue and wrote to him requesting a COAG meeting on the issue next year.

Opposition spokesman Michael Daley said the announcement of the panel was a sign the Premier was worried about her polling ahead of the state election.

"This is really the height of hypocrisy from her. Over the last eight years her Government has tweaked the planning system so much that she's now wrecked it," he said.

"She's allowed overdevelopments in some parts of Sydney, other parts of Sydney are getting nothing.

"They haven't been listening to communities and now five months out of an election she's panicking because she's realised she's got it wrong and people are angry."

He said Labor's position is for the states to sit down with the Commonwealth and the Productivity Commission to decide on an immigration policy with the states able to have their say.

"She's proposing the gimmickry of an expert panel to slash immigration. She knows, everyone knows the immigration rate is set by the Commonwealth."

The "expert panel" will assess the current rate of population growth and infrastructure pipeline in NSW, the time needed for infrastructure to "catch up" with population growth rates and asses NSW's role at upcoming discussions with the Federal Government on the issue.

The panel will include Infrastructure NSW chief executive Jim Betts, University of Western Sydney chancellor Peter Shergold and NSW Department of Planning and Environment Secretary Carolyn McNally.

It is expected to report to the Premier within two months.