Thames-Coromandel District Council's planning and building control staff are working flat out to process a huge increase in the number of resource and building consents applications.

But TCDC Community Environment manager Barry Smedts says due to this increase council is sometimes falling short of meeting its 20-day processing target for building consents.

'Certifications for subdivisions so far this financial year, from July 1, are up 44 per cent over the same period last year. We've issued 23 per cent more resource consents in this same period compared to the same time last year and building consents are up 12 per cent.

'There have been 30 per cent more newly built houses and other buildings compared to the same period last year.”

This indicates a strong demand for housing and other development in the Coromandel but comes during a chronic shortage of skilled planning and building consent staff nationally, meaning TCDC is competing with councils across the country to both retain existing staff and recruit new staff.

'There are currently four vacancies on our planning team, which processes resource consent applications, including for subdivisions. And our building team has six vacancies.

'We're working hard to fill these vacancies and we hope to be up to full strength early in the New Year. In the meantime, the issuing of new titles and associated development will continue to put pressure on our current resources.”

Council expects building consents and customer enquiries to continue to increase and while they are currently managing by outsourcing more consents, they are working to the maximum levels their contractors can take.

'We'd like to thank our customers for their patience and understanding during this time. I'd like people to know we are working very hard to remedy this situation and we hope to be meeting our targets for processing these applications very soon.”

To keep track of council is meeting its building consent timeframes visit their ‘Apply for a Building Consent' web page at www.tcdc.govt.nz/step10 which is updated every month.

For more information on building, planning and consents visit the Thames-Coromandel District Council website at: www.tcdc.govt.nz/regulatory