Council will carry out a second investigation into contamination at the Charles Sturt University-owned land at Estella after councillors voted to defer making a decision on the complex until they receive another report.

The complex, which is anticipated to be built by mid-2023, is expected to include multiple multi-use ovals and other sporting facilities, subject to feedback from a community consultation process.

Mayor Greg Conkey said yesterday that he and the other eight councillors had all been aware that the site was potentially contaminated before reviewing the initial report.

"We're happy once the new report comes to provide further information," he said.

"I think the public needs to know what's going on. We've got nothing to hide really. The public needs to know. It's up to the councillors whether to make it public."

The initial report into the site is not publicly available and councillors reviewed it in the confidential, closed section of their meeting on Monday night.

However, public council documents reveal that councillors will be provided with copies of reports "relating to possible contamination onsite" after the new investigation is completed.

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Councillor Paul Funnell said he had been "led to believe" that asbestos had been detected on the site, which sits between the Peter Hastie oval and the Estella Public School.

"My conscience would not allow me to support this until extensive testing is carried out," he said.

"I find it disappointing, as an understatement, that it's taken to this for this information to be finally released when council and councillors have had full knowledge of contamination issues out there for years."

Estella Progress Association president Bruce Durham said the sporting fields would be a "real bonus" to the community, but the proposed site was "an ugly big mess" at present.

"The land has a lot of fill that's been brought there from other places. From old building sites or something. You can see where it's just been dumped there," he said.

Councillor Kerry Pascoe said he was "all for" the sporting complex but that it would have to "go through due process" first.

"I wouldn't vote [the way I did] unless there was more information I required to make an informed judgement," he said.

Council's director of regional activation Michael Keys wouldn't confirm nor deny that asbestos had been detected in the contamination at the site.

"I will refer to previous advice that we're doing further investigations to provide further detail to council," he said.

He confirmed that council had already received results from earlier testing it carried out on the contamination but said he would not release any additional information until councillors received the new report.

He said council remained confident the sporting complex would go ahead as planned.

A CSU spokesman said there was a history of the site being used for fill associated with building development on the campus.

"Charles Sturt University will continue to supply all the necessary reports to enable an informed decision by council," he said.