Work is progressing at the fire-damaged New World Victoria Park site, with safety the top priority as crews begin the staged recovery process. 
 
Foodstuffs North Island has confirmed that while the Victoria Park building remains too dangerous for entry, specialist crews and structural engineers are on-site stabilising the structure, removing debris, and preparing for internal demolition. 
 
“Our first priority is making the building safe,” says Foodstuffs North Island CEO, Chris Quin. “The damage is significant, but we’re working with urgency and care behind the scenes to get on with the job.” 
 
Cranes are being used to remove heavy materials from the roof, while structural elements are being secured and the interior prepared for the safe removal of stock and equipment. Once the building is made safe, a full clean-up and site restoration will follow, all in line with environmental, health, and sustainability standards. 
 
The co-operative expects safe entry and internal demolition to be completed within the next six weeks, subject to weather and on-site conditions. Structural engineers will then assess what can remain and what must be demolished. 
 
Rebuild confirmed 

Foodstuffs has confirmed it will rebuild a new supermarket on the same Victoria Park site. The focus is on getting a replacement store open and serving the community again as quickly as possible. 
 
Support for customers and team members 

To help meet local demand, we have brought forward the opening of New World Point Chevalier, originally set for 9 September, the store will now open on Tuesday 19 August. It is 5km away from Victoria Park.  
 
For affected team members, all roles at Victoria Park have been disestablished, but support is in full swing with 23 Auckland stores having offered more than 100 vacancies across a range of roles. We are working one-on-one with impacted team members to support their next steps. 
 
We would like to thank the local community for their continued patience and support.