Thousands flocked to Sovereign Hills' shopping precinct for the first day of trade with food outlets, the supermarket, home and hardware store and community square pulsing with excitement.

Read more: Newly opened Sovereign Place Town Centre to be hub for community life

Commercial Project Group completed construction of the $20 million, 5200sqm Sovereign Place Town Centre stage one on schedule within 12 months.

Lewis Land Group CEO Chris Calvert described the opening of the Town Centre and the broader $500 million Sovereign Hills master planned community as "momentous".

"The Sovereign Place Town Centre is a key piece of infrastructure which will support our growing local residential community, the wider Hastings community and visitors, with more choice, more convenience and more dining options," he said on Friday, November 22.

"This is an exceptionally proud moment."

Guest star of the hit home renovation series The Block, Debbie Saunders, was special guest while Billabong Zoo had a reptile show, the St Joseph's Regional College band played and there were jumping castles for the kids who could also meet a firefighter.

The Lewis Land Group also made a $100,000 donation to two local rural fire service brigades during Friday's official opening.

The centre is home to Port Macquarie's first NRMA electric vehicle charging station and will also offer visitors free WiFi.

Hastings Co-op CEO Allan Gordon said the opening was the beginning of a new era for retail in the Hastings.

The IGA supermarket is a concept store which has been designed as a one-stop destination for shoppers with an in-house butcher, bakery, strong line of local products and produce as well as partnership hubs with Home Hardware and Harvey Norman.

A community movie night is planned at Sovereign Place on December 6 with a screening of Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse. There will be entertainment, food, music and carols to kick off the Christmas season.

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