Fern Bay and Fullerton Cove residents' longstanding pleas for a supermarket have been given a boost with Port Stephens Council set to meet with the major retailers.
At its ordinary meeting earlier this week, the council moved a motion for the general manager to hold talks with the supermarket chains. It also revealed staff recently met with Woolworths.
The motion came after a Fullerton Cove property owner, which has a planning proposal lodged with the state government to rezone land for a commercial development, was asked to undertake further environmental studies in order to progress to public exhibition.
Plans to transform 42 Fullerton Cove Road into a commercial precinct have been in the works for several years.
It was one site listed as a potential supermarket location in Newcastle and Port Stephens councils' joint Fern Bay and North Stockton Strategy adopted last year.
The other sites included the Stockton Centre and part of Newcastle Golf Club.
The golf club once held talks with Woolworths itself but a seniors village is now proposed for its land along the edge of Nelson Bay Road.
The future of the state-owned Stockton Centre, however, remains up in the air. The last residents left the facility about a year ago.
The joint-council strategy envisions a "town centre" on the site, but Port Stephens mayor Ryan Palmer said any redevelopment of that land, regardless if it was undertaken by government or the private sector, would likely be "at least five years away".
In addition to the council motion, a petition emerged online this week promoting a potential development at 69 Fullerton Cove Road. The owners of that rural-zoned land have crafted early plans for a retail/community centre, but they are yet to progress to a rezoning proposal.
The Newcastle Herald understands the major supermarket chains are keeping a closer eye on the population north of Stockton Bridge, but Coles, Woolworths and Aldi were not willing to comment beyond saying they are always looking to expand their footprints. Mr Palmer said the council would do all it could to attract their interest. He said the area was one of Port Stephens' fastest-growing districts and the population had now reached a point where it could sustain a standalone supermarket.
Fern Bay and Fullerton Cove's population doubled between 2006 and 2016 to more than 3000 and similar increases are forecast in coming years.
Fern Bay Fullerton Cove Progress Association chair Eddie Horn said a supermarket should have been built "yesterday" but 42 Fullerton Cove Road was the area's best hope at this stage.
"We could see something there in two to three years, the other sites would be much longer," he said.
The area's closest existing options are an IGA at Stockton or major supermarkets at Medowie, Mayfield or Warabrook - all about 15 minutes drive from Fern Bay.
