Mixed results for building consents

In November 2010, the value of consents issued for non-residential buildings was $479 million, the highest value since May 2009, Statistics New Zealand said today.  The two main contributors to this value were education buildings, and factories and industrial buildings, bringing the non-residential buildings value up 23 percent compared with November 2009. In contrast, over the same period, the value of residential buildings decreased by 4.4 percent to $514 million.

The seasonally adjusted number of new housing units authorised, excluding apartments, fell 2.6 percent in November 2010, the fifth consecutive monthly fall. When the volatile apartment category is included, the number of new housing units authorised rose 8.8 percent, following a 1.8 percent fall in October 2010.

In November 2010, without adjusting for seasonal effects, consents were issued for:

1,470 new housing units, including apartments

1,244 new housing units, excluding apartments

226 new apartments (154 are assisted-living apartments associated with retirement villages). 

In Canterbury, there were a small number of earthquake-related consents identified in November 2010. The total value of these was $2.3 million. Two of these were for new dwellings. 

Building consent values include goods and services tax (GST), which increased from 12.5 percent to 15 percent from 1 October 2010. It is not possible to separate the impact of this change on building consent statistics.

Data for building consents is obtained each month from all territorial authorities. 

Dallas Welch (Mrs) 11 January 2011

Acting Government Statistician