The long awaited cut-price supermarket chain ALDI is preparing to enter the Port Macquarie market.

An ALDI spokeswoman confirmed ALDI was in discussions with the developer, Stevens Group, about opening an ALDI store at 128 Hastings River Dr.

The Stevens Group got the green light on Wednesday for its $3 million plan to subdivide the Melaleuca Caravan Park into two lots and build a supermarket on the western end of the site.

The development application classes the development as a “general store” but it is essentially a 1588 square metre supermarket.

ALDI also is interested in exploring other sites in the Port Macquarie area.

“ALDI sees Port Macquarie as a city with the potential for multiple ALDI stores in the future,” she said.

“We believe the Port Macquarie community should have access to smarter shopping at ALDI; guaranteed high quality goods and unbeatable value at permanently low prices.”

ALDI has more than 200 Australian stores.

Melaleuca Caravan Park was home to 19 permanent caravan and mobile home owners when Central Coast-based Stevens Group bought the land for $4.8 million in July last year.

Of the eight remaining owners, two are on land earmarked for the supermarket.

The Stevens Group has offered both residents the chance to move to the park’s eastern end at the developer’s expense.

One has accepted.

Stevens Group development manager Paul Cutting said they hoped to negotiate a suitable outcome with the remaining resident.

“We’ve done just about all things possible to be reasonable to the residents that will ultimately be displaced by development,” he said.

The development will reduce the long-term licensed sites from 47 to 25.

Some 34 tourist sites will remain.

The rest of the park will be developed in the future.

Meanwhile, the developer has bought nine caravans and mobile homes, relocated two owners and eight owners continue to live at the park.

“Settlements were negotiated with residents that wanted to relocate by their own means,” Mr Cutting said.

“Essentially we agreed a price to purchase their asset.”

Melaleuca Caravan Park will continue to operate as a tourist park in the immediate future with the supermarket at one end, complete with the store’s own entry and exit off Hughes Pl.

The supermarket will have about 70 car spaces.

No timeframe has been given for the supermarket development.