Residential and non-residential building activity increase

The volume of both residential and non-residential building activity increased in the June 2010 quarter, after the removal of seasonal effects, Statistics New Zealand said today.

"Residential building volumes rose 10.8 percent, which is the third consecutive quarterly rise," building statistics manager Louise Holmes-Oliver said. "Non-residential building volumes rose 5.2 percent, following a revised increase in the March 2010 quarter."

The trend for the volume of residential building activity increased in the last three quarters. However, this follows two years of declines, and the level is 27 percent lower than the most recent peak in the September 2007 quarter.

The revised trend for the volume of non-residential building activity increased in the last two quarters, following a year of declines. The level is 9.1 percent lower than the most recent peak in the December 2008 quarter.

For the June 2010 year, the unadjusted value of all building activity was $10.7 billion, down 8.3 percent from the previous year. The unadjusted value of total residential building activity fell 4.3 percent in the June 2010 year, while non-residential fell 13.1 percent.

Data on building activity is obtained each quarter primarily by a postal survey of around 3,500 builders, owners, and other building consent applicants.