A large section of awning at Ballina Homemaker Centre on Boeing Avenue has sagged significantly in calm weather conditions, prompting safety checks and an engineering assessment.

The incident occurred outside the Harvey Norman store, where part of the awning dropped to about halfway down the front of the building.

Witnesses said a stretch of the structure, estimated to be about 50 metres long, appeared to give way after brackets connecting it to the concrete wall failed.

There was no rain or strong wind at the time, making the failure unusual.

When Ballina News Daily attended the scene, sections of nearby car parking had been taped off as a precaution.

A cherry picker had also been brought in, allowing technicians to closely inspect the affected wall brackets.

It appears the brackets have come away from the wall, leaving a long and heavy section of awning without additional overhead support.

Despite the dramatic scene, the awning did not fully collapse.

It is understood no one was standing beneath the affected section at the time, with no shop entrances located directly underneath.

Trading at nearby businesses has not been impacted.

Specialist engineers have since been brought in to assess the structure and determine the next steps.

Inspections are now expected to be carried out across all awnings at the Homemaker Centre to ensure public safety.

Pictured: The awning sagged, but did not collapse.  A close up shows holding brackets have come away from the concrete shopfront.

The incident comes as construction continues on a new Harvey Norman store adjacent to the site, which is expected to expand the Homemaker Centre later this year.

In contrast, some additional support braces appear to have have been installed above the awnings on the new structure, where workers were today working on finishing the installation.

The new expanded Harvey Norman store due to open later this year.