The evidence has been mounting for some time that the momentum of the Christchurch rebuild has stalled recently.
In the quarterly survey of business expectations released earlier this week, for example, intentions to invest in buildings in Christchurch plummeted in September to levels not seen since immediately after the February 2011 earthquake.
But one company, the Goodman Property Trust, has just announced two new development projects worth nearly $21 million in the Garden City.
It is building a warehouse and distribution facility for the global logistics company, DHL, and another multi-unit development anchored by the tyre company, Bridgestone.
In August the trust announced it would be developing a facility for contract warehousing specialist MOVE Logistics.
Chief executive of the trust's manager John Dakin says it has been difficult to get tenants to commit to Christchurch projects and the consenting process is taking far too long.
He says there have been challenges around construction pricing which is likely to be an ongoing issue in the Christchurch market.
Mr Dakin says the consenting process needs to be streamlined in Canterbury because it currently seems arduous and slow which is slowing the speed of the recovery.
He says it's taking six to 12 months in some cases to get consents for buildings that are reasonably straightforward.
"We'd be expecting a quicker turnaround than that - having said that we acknowledge the fact that this is a unique situation where the council is having to deal with a volume of consents which is far in excess of anything that's had to be dealt with in the past."
Mr Dakin says as an investor/developer the company wants to see that process properly resourced and streamlined.
