A major hospital redevelopment, a new light rail line, road upgrades and the WestConnex toll road are among a long list of projects in Sydney worth billions of dollars that are at risk of significant delays due to serious doubts cast over the state's compulsory acquisition powers.

The Herald can reveal about 165 acquisition notices handed to landowners for projects such as the Prince of Wales Hospital redevelopment at Randwick and a major road upgrade near the new airport at Badgerys Creek are at risk of becoming invalid or lapsing within weeks.

Doubt has been cast on a further 86 properties that authorities planned to issue acquisition notices for by the end of next week, after property developer Desane won a legal battle in the NSW Supreme Court to stop the state government from forcibly buying land at Rozelle in the inner west for WestConnex.

Of those 86 in the pipeline, 52 are for properties along the route of the Parramatta light rail line; 12 for a metro train line; and 16 for road projects such as an upgrade to the Pacific Highway at Wyong on the Central Coast, and around the new Northern Beaches Hospital.