The March level of building consents issued by Tauranga City Council remains encouraging, according to recently-released Priority One figures.

March's total number of building consents issued is 176, slightly behind February's 182 but well ahead of the 140 recorded in March 2013.

Tauranga City Council offices. Photo: file.

The two-year high of 208 consents was recorded in July 2013, which was also the highest number issued in a month since December 2009. The low during the last two years is 116, recorded in December 2012.

Total value of the March 2014 consents is $41.8m, ahead of February's $37.1m and the $26.7m recorded in March 2013. The two-year high was $54.1m, recorded last December, while the low during this period is $19.5m, recorded in September 2012.

New builds are down, at $19.6m, compared with $26.8m in February, which is a two-year high. The value remains slightly ahead of the $17.2m recorded in March 2013. The two-year low is $11.0m, recorded in April 2012. The number of new house consents for March is 62, while February's 79 is a two-year high.

It's ahead of the 46 recorded in March 2013. The two-year low is 34 consents issued in April 2012.

Last month's commercial consents are worth $11.3m, while February's total $6.1m and $5.2m was recorded in March last year.

The value is boosted by five large consents: foundations for the new Brother International (NZ) head office and warehouse at the Tauriko Business Estate, worth $3m, plus the $1.8 million refurbishment of the Bethlehem Countdown supermarket, a $1.6m development of a new medical centre at Bethlehem, the foundations for a new block at Ryman Healthcare's Bob Owens Retirement Village at Bethlehem totalling $1.4m; and a new $1 million Bob Clarkson warehouse at Tauriko. The two-year high for commercial consents is $24.1m, recorded in August 2012, while the low is $1.9m recorded April 2013.

Twenty commercial consents were approved in March, compared with 12 in February and 16 in March 2013.

The two-year high of 31 was recorded in August 2012, while the low of nine was recorded in last December.

Government and community consents in March total $7.1m. February saw zero, and March 2013 saw $646,000.

Four large consents in this category include the $2.7m recladding and reroofing at Tauranga Girls' College and Otumoetai College, $1.3m; eight one-bedroom dwellings worth $1.1 million by the Tauranga Community Housing Trust at Clarke and Matthew streets; and $848,000 of remedial work at Mount College.

The two-year high is $20.2m recorded last December, and the low is zero, which was recorded last month. There are 12 consents in this category, ahead of last month's zero and the seven recorded in March 2013; only one less than the two-year high of 13 recorded last December.

Western Bay of Plenty

Western Bay of Plenty consents are also improving. The total value of consents approved in March is $11.3m, an increase on February's $9.9m and the $5m recorded in March 2013 –and just below the two-year high of $12.8m recorded in September 2013. The two-year low is $4.6m, recorded in April 2012.

Number of consents issued in the WBOP in March is 80, well ahead of February's 60 and 30 recorded in March 2013, which is the lowest recorded since Priority One records began in 2003. The high during the last two years is 111, recorded in May 2012.

Single dwelling consents issued in the Western Bay are also down slightly on February, with a total value of $5.4m, compared with the $6.7m recorded last month – but well ahead of the $2.2m recorded in March 2013, which is a two-year low. The two-year high is $7.4m, recorded in September 2013. The number of single dwelling consents issued is 19, an increase on last month's 16 and seven recorded in March 2013, which is a two-year low. The two-year high is 25 recorded in September 2013.

Commercial consents are ahead of February but less than March 2013. The numbers are $1.4m for last month, $1.2m for February and $1.7m for March 2013. The only large consent issued in March is for $810,000 worth of site development for the Academic Colleges Group school at Pyes Pa Rd. The two-year high for commercial consents is $6.1m, recorded in October 2012, while the low was zero consents issued in January 2013.

The number of commercial consents issued in March is two – less than last month's six and the same as recorded in March 2013. The two-year high in this category is 21, recorded in April 2013, due to 17 consents lodged for dwellings at the Summerset Villages retirement complex.

Government and community consents are valued at $3.1m, a two-year high, and ahead of last month's zero value and the $642,000 recorded in March 2013. There is one large consent for $2.4 million, for alterations and additions to Waipuna Hospice.