Community desperate for supermarket gets $37.5m shopping centre

The 5000-square-metre supermarket will have more than 300 car parks, a Woolworths and a liquor store, with space for five more businesses.

Located on Fullerton Cove Road, next to the Fern Bay roundabout, the development will also serve the growing communities of North Stockton, Fern Bay and Seaside Estate, who have been crying out for a supermarket for more than three years.

More than 600 people signed a petition in 2019 supporting a now-approved rezoning proposal to "provide us with a supermarket we need now".

Port Stephens mayor Ryan Palmer said the Fullerton Cove community had grown exponentially over the past few years and a supermarket was long overdue, with people currently forced to do their weekly shopping at either Mayfield, Medowie or Raymond Terrace.

"As a person with friends and family there, I know their frustration of not having a supermarket readily available to them," Cr Palmer said.

"On the face of it, it looks like a good development that ticks a lot of boxes for locals and should service the needs of the community."

Along with addressing the community's need to travel for their grocery shopping, the planning documents lodged with council say the development could include "healthcare, allied healthcare, and pharmacy opportunities".

"Once completed, the development will also boost the local economy by attracting shoppers from neighbouring regions, leading to increased spending in the community," the documents stated.

"The positive economic impacts associated with the proposed development has the potential to attract residential development within the immediate area, which will contribute to housing supply and reduce demand."

The development application revealed there was the potential to install solar panels on the roof and parking structures, and "small-scale wind turbines" could be included in the car park to generate electricity.

A Sydney-based developer bought the 6.8-hectare bushland site for $5.4 million in May last year.