Value of major commercial projects jumps

The total value of major commercial projects in the city has jumped by $80 million in the past 13 weeks.

Council records show that for the last week of March the value of commercial projects with a value over one million dollars, which had been granted building consent, was $9.1 million. By last Friday this had increased to $89.1 million.

Council Building Operations Manager Ethan Stetson says that the figures show a confidence from the business sector in the rebuild.

"This is a very encouraging trend in a short space of time. There is no doubt that the rebuild is providing us with some challenges, but there also seems to be a determination in the commercial sector to get the rebuild going."

He said that Council was working hard to issue building consents in 20 days or less. In July 2010 the Council issued 87 per cent of all building consents in 20 days or less. This compares with 97 per cent of all building consents in May this year.

"The Council’s ability to issue building consents really relies on applicants providing complete and technically accurate details so that we don’t have to request more information."

Mayor Bob Parker says there was a growing sense of faith in the rebuild.

"The commercial sector appears to be moving into a position where the rebuild can get underway. There are a number of businesses who clearly want to start up, or stay in Christchurch, and they are doing something about it. The Council will do everything we can to support them."

The figures include the value of 32 projects which have been granted building consent, and range from repairs, to new builds, and existing customers being granted further building consents for the next stage in their project. Nine of the projects are within the Four Avenues.

Resource Consents and Building Policy Manager, Steve McCarthy says that applicants for major commercial projects would benefit from attending a pre-application meeting so that they could find out if they also needed a resource consent. The meeting would also inform them of what was needed to submit a complete application for a building consent.

"My advice is spend a few hours with us early in your project. Not only will it help get your business moving it will help us end up with the city we want as a part of the overall rebuild."