Work has started on the biggest Bunnings centre to hit Australia, a five-storey, $48 million Frenchs Forest super centre.

Demolition has levelled a two-story office block and a former Australia Post distribution centre to make way for the store, at the intersection of Warringah and Allambie roads.

This outlet will have three levels of retail, and two levels of parking, for 400 vehicles. The build will create 800 jobs, according to Bunnings.

The build was originally planned to start earlier, but a clash between Bunnings and the Northern Beaches Council about “potential road safety issues with merging vehicles and conflicts with pedestrians” held back development.