The household hardware chain underpins a development at 18 John Oxley Drive.

Bunnings area manager Alan Harvey said construction works were progressing as planned at the new Bunnings Warehouse Port Macquarie site.

Internal building works are almost complete with racking and merchandising to start this week.

“Team members will transfer from the existing warehouse to the new warehouse once complete and will be joined by over 80 new team members,” Mr Harvey said.

More than 205 residents are official team members of the new Bunnings Warehouse.

Bunnings Warehouse Port Macquarie complex manager Jacob Andriessen said he was excited to welcome local residents to the store as well as lending a helping hand in the community.

Meanwhile, the current Bunnings Warehouse building at Lake Road will be internally reconfigured into multiple tenancies after Bunnings moves out, subject to development application approval.

A development application, which outlines the proposal, is on exhibition at Port Macquarie-Hastings Council until January 24.

The application proposes to internally divide the building into five tenancies.

BWP Trust managing director Michael Wedgwood said when a Bunnings Warehouse decided to move on from a property, the trust looked at all options for the property.

“In Port Macquarie, what we are proposing to do is what we think is the best use for that property in that location,” he said.

“It’s a commercial decision based on where we think the most demand is.”

An anchor tenant is in place and a leasing campaign is underway to fill the other tenancies with large format retailers.

“We expect it to be fully leased in good time," Mr Wedgwood said.

He said the site had good visibility, good parking and access from one of the key commercial roads in Port Macquarie.

The development application seeks approval for a change of use to specialised retail premises with alterations and additions.

BWP Trust owns the Lake Road site.

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