But don't panic, if it happens it won't be the result of a mass exodus or a sweeping virus it will be because Lake Macquarie doesn't have a post code and that, apparently, means the city doesn't formally exist even if it does have a seat in parliament and is the fourth largest LGA in NSW.

To resolve the disaster of "the lost city of Lake Macquarie" Mayor Greg Piper's has renewed his attempts to create a suburb named Lake Macquarie.

And this time the intended area earmarked to be the city centre and the officially named Lake Macquarie won't be the proposed major transport hub Glendale, but Speers Point which is already home to the council's administration centre.

In fact it is because Speers Point is where council's administration offices are that the suburb has been picked for a change of name to match the city.

Cr Piper plans to give the Lake Macquarie name to an area of Speers Point, including about 200 houses, Speers Point Park and the council administration centre.

"I hope residents and property owners included in the proposed new suburb embrace this as a historic opportunity," Cr Piper said.

Cr Piper said his plan included expanding or redeveloping the cash-strapped council's administration centre at Speers Point.

He has proposed making Park Road, Speers Point, a tree-lined boulevard running from Speers Point Park to a new architecturally-designed council building and civic centre.

Cr Piper said Lake Macquarie was the fourth biggest local government area in NSW with more than 200,000 people, but the city was hampered by not having a suburb of the same name.

Cynics who observe that Newcastle doesn't have a suburb called Newcastle, Sydney doesn't have suburb called Sydney and Gosford doesn't have a suburb called Gosford yet all manage quite well, will claim that changing the name of a suburb is unnecessary expense for both the council and for the affected Speers Point residents.

But Cr Piper said his plan would have practical benefits and create a sense of identity and pride.

He wants the Lake Macquarie name on F3 freeway signs and GPS systems to boost its identity.

"For this to occur, Lake Macquarie needs a postcode and that requires the creation of a suburb," he said.

Councillors approved 8-3 the plan on Monday night..

Cr Piper tried five years ago to name an area of Glendale as Lake Macquarie, but the plan was dropped following community opposition because Glendale did not adjoin the lake, a problem which Cr Piper said his new plan addressed.