Scarce habitat for wading birds and a threatened frog species near Sydney Airport may soon get competition from 10,000 new residents if the Cooks Cove Precinct goes ahead.

While the long-delayed development of Barton Park still needs approval from the Bayside Council and Sydney Central Planning Panel, opponents such as Arthur White see public land like this being lost across the city.

"At the moment it's all taking of green spaces, no replacing of it," says Mr White, a herpetologist who works as a consultant for projects such as WestConnex and lives in nearby Rockdale. "Nothing's safe."

"Knowing that green space is already tight, you wonder at the wisdom of surrendering more of it," he adds.