More than $23 million in housing consents received by Tauranga City Council last month will help fuel the city's construction industry in 2015.

Consents for 67 new single dwellings, worth $23.85 million, made up the bulk of the $37.2 million in consents filed in December.

Over $23 million in housing consents were received by Tauranga City Council in December.

In December 2013 consents worth $54.1 million were recorded – a figure boosted by the BOPDHB's $16.8 million radiotherapy unit and the highest monthly total issued since November 2007.

Commenting on the figures, released by Priority One them, Tauranga property law expert Brooke Courtney says the city's new affordable housing project due to commence this year will also boost the city's construction sector.

The Housing Accord, signed in August 2014, will provide consent to develop 1000 new homes in Tauranga and 575 new homes in the Western Bay of Plenty district over the next two years.

'This will provide a significant boost to our construction sector and overall economy as work to build these new homes gets underway,” says Courtney.

'Businesses in the CBD should also benefit from the increased activity in the retail and hospitality sectors over the summer period which will draw people into the city.”

Meanwhile, the Tauranga Eastern Link roading project is due for completion in late 2015.

Courtney adds: 'This new highway, along with continued works to improve the State Highway 2 Northern Corridor between Tauranga and Waihi, will improve access across the Bay of Plenty and help promote even more housing growth as people look to set up their homes and businesses here.”

The two-year high for consents was 226, issued in August 2014, while the low over the same period was 119 consents recorded in January 2013.