In the midst of an independent inquiry into delays about Tauranga City council building consents, the council is announcing today that its building consent issuing process is going paperless.

Building Consents Online helps applicants through the whole process - from pre-application to the issuing of a Code Compliance Certificate, says a statement from the council.

It also helps home owners find out whether building consents are required for their planned DIY projects such as fences or decks.

'We're always looking for ways we can adapt to meet our customers' changing needs, and to manage the growth we're currently seeing in Tauranga,” says the city council's environmental services general manager Rebecca Perrett,

The number of building consents issued has grown significantly in the last two years, from 2177 in the 2014-2015 financial year to 2723 in the 2015-2016 financial year.

In 2015-2016 the value of all building work in Tauranga reached an all-time high of $765,446,956.

'Online consenting should make life easier for our customers by making sure they have the right information, and allowing them to submit and track their applications digitally throughout the entire process,” says Rebecca.

The pre-application component of the solution was developed in-house by Tauranga City Council in consultation with the local building industry.

The application side is based on an industry best practice product, AlphaOne, which has successfully helped high-growth councils improve customer service and reduce processing time.

'The new system has simplified the consenting process and is the most time-efficient lodging service we have used,” says regional building coordinator at Classic Builders, Kylee Hayes.

'The ease of use and ability to check the status of the consent without having to phone or email Council has been hugely beneficial. We look forward to utilising this more as we head into the most productive year in Classic Builders history.

'The online consenting system is a step toward Council's goal of paper independence. As of today, Council will no longer be issuing paper consents.”

Tauranga City Council staff will be available in the customer service centre at 91 Willow Street to assist those who need help shifting to the online system.

For more information, or to register for AlphaOne, visit http://building.tauranga.govt.nz.

On March 6 the city council announced it has initiated an independent review following complaints from some members of the public relating to building consents.

"We have engaged independent reviewer BDO to investigate these complaints, which we expect to be completed in late March or early April," says chief executive officer Garry Poole. "It has a broad scope and will look at all parts of our building consent process.

"Tauranga City Council has a responsibility to our community to consider the complaints and we are confident we are following a fair and reasonable process.

"Given the review is now underway, we will not be making any further comment. It is important to allow the review to run its course."

People wanting to contribute to the review can contact Fraser Lellman from BDO.

Email - fraser.lellman@bdo.co.nz