The supermarket has been under construction since May last year and the fit-out of the store has started ahead of a late March opening.

Woolworths has not revealed its plans for its existing supermarket located on the opposite side of Belmore Street.

Residents are speculating the old supermarket could be redeveloped as a Dan Murphy’s liquor outlet or Masters’ hardware store, which are both Woolworths businesses.

The “full-line” supermarket is 3800 square metres in size with the total development site including 157 car spaces and 10 specialty shops adding a futher 11,000 square metres.

Pigdon Motors formerly traded on the site which also incorporated seven neighbouring houses and a workshop.

The supermarket is the biggest project at Yarrawonga since the development of the Silverwoods golf and lifestyle resort in 2007.

Pigdon Motors has since relocated to Benalla Road.

Developer Ken Parker said the supermarket and shops would benefit both locals and tourists.

“Holidaymakers who come to Yarrawonga can come in and buy what they would expect to be able to buy in their supermarkets back in Melbourne,” he said.

He said three tenants for the specialty shops were locked in and were on target to also open in late March.

“We are confident of filling them all, but we are also conscious of getting good, quality tenants,” he said.

“It will take us some time because we want to do it properly.”

Car parking will be at a premium, particularly in peak holiday times.

Staff will be required to park off the site with many expected to use Hovell Street at the back of the supermarket.

“The rate of car parking provisions at the new Woolworths development site is consistent with current practice across the state,” Moira Council’s development director Scott Taylor said.

Moira mayor Cr Alex Monk and fellow councillors including Peter Mansfield, Rob Chuck and Brian Keenan took part in a tour of the development yesterday.