Latest building consent statistics prepared by Priority One have signaled a strong few years ahead for the Tauranga construction industry.

With over $350 million in construction projects underway or planned in Tauranga's city centre alone over the next few years, Priority One suggests a downturn in the sector is unlikely.

In 2018, the combined value of consents issued by Tauranga City Council and Western Bay of Plenty District Council exceeded $1 billion for the third consecutive year.

Over the 12 month period, Tauranga issued $870 million worth of consents, while the Western Bay issued $236 million, reaching over $1.1 billion in total.

There has been strong growth in the value of consents issued across the combined Tauranga and Western Bay sub-region since 2012, particularly from 2015 through to 2017.

However, figures for 2018 indicated a plateau in construction activity, with a seven per cent drop in the value of consents.

December is usually a quieter month for building consents due to the Christmas break and with local authorities utilising fewer staff processing consents during the holiday period.

For this purpose, comparisons in the commentary of the report focus on December 2018 and December 2017, providing a more meaningful measure than comparisons with recent months.