Review into Tauranga building consents extended

Tauranga City Council has asked for more time before being given a review into its handling of building consents.

The council released a statement in writing this morning after an independent review was initiated in March, following complaints from some members of the public.

Independent reviewer BDO was engaged to conduct the in-depth review and spoke with council staff, developers, builders, and members of the public.

Late last week, Tauranga City Council received an initial draft and has asked BDO to undertake further work to provide more clarity and detail.

Chief executive Garry Poole said the council expected the final report to be received within the next three weeks.

"This is a significant matter for council and our ratepayers, and we believe it is important that we give the reviewer the opportunity to be as thorough as possible," he said.

"Tauranga City Council has a responsibility to our community to consider all complaints and we are confident we are following a fair and reasonable process.

"We wish to thank everyone who has played a part in this review for their valuable input.

"The final report will have recommendations, and we are committed to working with our people to implement those," Mr Poole said.