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The Hastings suburb of Flaxmere could have two supermarkets operating within a year, with a new Woolworths supermarket now starting construction.

Foodstuffs closed the Flaxmere New World in February 2024, leaving residents with a local supermarket until April 2025, when independent new provider Flaxmere Supermarket opened its doors in the old New World.

On Friday morning, a group of representatives from the Hastings District Council, mana whenua, the Flaxmere community, and TW Property gathered for a karakia whakawātea and turning of the sod ceremony to mark the beginning of construction of the new Woolworths supermarket for the suburb.

The new 3460sq m full-service supermarket will be at the rear of the Flaxmere shopping precinct, bordered by Swansea Rd, Caernarvon Drive, Pam O’Keefe Ave, and Te Ara Moeke. The plans also include a separate retail space and customer car parks.

Mauri stones were brought to the ceremony by local tangata whenua, led by kaumātua Cordry Huata, from the waterways of Te Popo o Tamatea, Ngaruroro, Paritua, Kārewarewa and Te Awa o Te Atua.

Gravel was also brought from sacred pā sites at Kakirawa and Timuwhenua, and both the gravel and stones were scattered into the land where the foundation of the supermarket will soon be laid.

TW Property has now settled and taken ownership of the land from the district council, with the first stage of development set to begin shortly.

TW Property chief executive Terry May said the earthworks and foundation preparation will be under way within the next week.

“The agreement to lease with Woolworths has also gone unconditional, which means that we can proceed with full confidence and look to have the supermarket completed by mid-2026,” he said.

Woolworths New Zealand’s director of property, Matthew Grainger, said the supermarket giant was looking forward to bringing a state-of-the-art supermarket to the local community.

“We’re always on the lookout for opportunities to better serve New Zealanders across the country, and we’re pleased to bring more choice to Flaxmere,” he said.

The Woolworths supermarket marks the beginning of several big development projects in Flaxmere by TW Property. These include the redevelopment of the town centre and the delivery of new housing projects that will meet the growing demand for senior living and affordable homes within the community.