Housing consents downward trend continues

Building consent statistics for the month of February 2009 show the trend for the number of new housing units authorised, excluding apartment units, has continued to fall since June 2007, Statistics New Zealand said today. The trend has fallen more than 50 percent since June 2007, and is currently at its lowest level since this series began 17 years ago.

The seasonally adjusted number of new housing units authorised, excluding apartments, rose 0.3 percent in February 2009, but remains at a low level.

In February 2009, there were 1,059 new housing units authorised, including 193 apartment units.

In February 2009, the value of consents issued for residential buildings was below the value of consents issued for non-residential buildings. This also occurred in January 2009 and before that in June 1998.