The Bay of Plenty post-harvest kiwifruit company plans to invest in innovation andincreased packing and storage capacity at its 6.5ha site at the Tauranga Business Estate.
The company expects to employ about 500 seasonal staff and 100 permanent staff once the project is complete.
The latest consent was for the building work and shuttle racking of the coolstore and packhouse extension on Taitimu Rd.
It was one of the 23 commercial building consents totalling more than $35m the Tauranga City Council issued in May.
Stages of the Mount Pack & Cool development. Photo / Supplied
Mount Pack & Cool general manager Brendon Lee said the expansion would signal another "positive breakthrough for the kiwifruit industry" and significantly increase packing capacity.
"In parallel to our busiest three months of the year, we are thrilled to reach another key milestone on this project."
Consent was also granted for a $3.5m 10-townhouse development on Cheese Factory Lane in Brookfield.
It is a joint venture between Bay of Plenty developers Abron Group and the Lighthouse Group.
Abron Group sales and marketing manager Abbie Raleigh said the development would include 10 two-storey, three-bedroom, two-bathroom units with single garages.
An artist impression of what Brookfield's new 10-townhouse development could look like. Photo / Supplied
Raleigh said the site had been under development since 2016, with 22 homes built in stage 1 in 2018/2019.
Prices ranged from $690,000 to $735,000 with eight of 10 sold off the plans, she said.
"New Zealand is in the midst of a housing shortage and a project like this one is providing much-needed quality homes in a price range that is achievable for many New Zealanders."
Construction will start in mid-July.
A $2.5m consent was also issued for the second stage of a new factory with offices, freezer and manufacturing plant on Ashley Pl in Pāpāmoa.
Venture Developments chief executive Jarod Thorpe said the consent was an upgrade for an existing food manufacturing company.
Venture owned the building and would lease the new factory, offices and manufacturing plant.
"So this is just a relocation for that existing business.
An artist impression of what the new factory with offices, freezer and manufacturing plant on Ashley Place could look like. Photo / Supplied
"They will operate the food prep area including the freezer. The office space will be a separate lease and we do not have a tenant for that area currently."
Thorpe said the project was in its very early stages.
He said the company planned to complete the construction this year.
Meanwhile, a $15m consent was issued for a new bulk storage facility on Hull Rd in Mount Maunganui. This will be a storage facility for J. Swap Contractors Ltd.
Priority One chief executive Nigel Tutt said there was also a "general swell" of people who had come out of a disruptive year from the pandemic wanting to expand.
"We are seeing more of this now and I expect it will continue."
It was also good to see speciality food manufacturers featuring in the consents, he said.
Tauranga Chamber of Commerce chief executive Matt Cowley said it was great to see a wide variety of development across the city in recent years.
"It shows that we're a diversified economy, which is appropriate for New Zealand's fifth-largest city."
Building consents - May 2021
Major consent applications issued - value over $1m
17 Pitau Rd New two-storey residential dwelling consisting of four-bedrooms and attached double garage with gas fire $1,200,000
82 Hull Rd Construction of new bulk storage facility with office $15,013,500
46 Ashley Pl Stage 2 - Construct new factory with offices, freezer and manufacturing plant $2,500,000
242 Grenada St Villas 100 - 101 (Duplex) - two x single-level two-bedroom units with attached garages Villas 102 - 103 (Duplex) - two x single-level two-bedroom units with attached garages Villas 106 - 107 (Duplex) $2,770,000
39 Bell St Construct 7 single-level, two-bedroom dwellings and retaining walls $1,750,000
41 Taitimu Rd Stage 2 - Building envelope architecture, shuttle racking of cool store and packhouse extension $9,000,000
6 Cheese Factory Lane Construct multi-unit dwelling with 10 x two-storey, two-bedroom units with single garage and retaining wall $3,500,000
66 Devonport Rd Construct three-storey mixed-use building residential apartment on top level $2,000,000
