The building boom in the Western Bay continues to break new ground, with both Tauranga City and Western Bay of Plenty District councils breaking records in the number of consents being issued.

For the nine months to September 2016, the two local authorities issued the highest value of consents than in any year since Priority One records commenced in 2003.

File Photo.

Tauranga City Council recorded $564 million in consents issued for the period, 16 per cent more than the previous high in 2015. Western Bay issued $209m in consents so far this year, 77 per cent more than the previous high in 2007 and a massive 81 per cent more than in 2015.

Consents for the combined sub-region are valued at $773m for the nine month period, 29 per cent more than the previous high recorded in 2015.

Construction on new residential properties continues to be high this month, with Tauranga City Council issuing the second highest number of single dwelling consents in the last 12 months and Western Bay issuing the third highest number over the same period.

Total value of building consents issued by Tauranga City Council in September was $58.9m, less than last month's $61.8m and also less than the $81.1m in consents issued in September 2015, which was the two year high. The low was $35.6m recorded in October 2014.

There were 253 consents issued, less than 258 in August but ahead of the 234 consents issued in September 2015. The two year high remains 289 consents issued in October 2015.

There were 113 housing consents issued in September, worth $43.7m, an increase on August's 98/$36.9m and the 110/$37.0m single dwelling consents issued in September 2015. The two year high is 136/$45.6m in consents issued in October 2015. The two year low in value is $20.1m recorded in October 2014. The lowest number is 65 consents in April 2015.

Commercial consents dropped from $17.9m in August to $8.7m. The two year low is $5.8m issued in July 2015. Commercial consents issued in August were worth $17.9m.

The only commercial consent issued in September worth more than $1m is a $3.2m consent for foundations and precast panels for stage one of a factory and coolstore development at Tauriko Business Estate.

There were 27 commercial consents issued in September, fewer than the 46 in August – the two year high. The two year low is ten consents in April 2015.

Western Bay of Plenty building consents issued for September numbered 125, worth a total of $22.5m. The number is the same as for August, but the value is down slightly from last month's $25.5m.

Housing consents for September are valued at $16.0m for 38 houses, an increase on $14.2m for August's 39 house consents.

Commercial consents are also down in the Western Bay down to a value of $1.3m, from August's $8.0m and also less than the $4.9m in consents issued in September 2015. There were no large $1m plus commercial consents issued in September.