Auckland's housing boom shows no signs of slowing, with a record 23,220 building consent applications received in the last year, up by 12 per cent.
"Demand for consents has been relentless. The numbers keep on jumping so to manage the constant workflow we've brought on board the consents teams from Wellington and Porirua," says Auckland Council Building Control Processing Manager Doug Naylor.
Mr Naylor has been involved with building consent lodgements for 27 years and believes this is the highest surge of applications he's seen in that time.
To manage the heavy volume, the consents team has contracted Wellington and Porirua city councils, initially for 12 months, to ensure Aucklanders don't experience unnecessary delays with their applications.
"The boom has made it difficult to find experienced design and construction specialists the council - and the wider industry - require to meet demand," says Mr Naylor.