New Zealand September Building Consents Rise 0.2%

(RTTNews) - The total number of building permits in New Zealand issued in September picked up a seasonally adjusted 0.2 percent on month in September, Statistics New Zealand said on Monday - standing at 2,550.

That follows the downwardly revised 1.5 percent decline in August (originally -1.0 percent).

Individually, consents were issued for 1,892 houses, 393 townhouses, flats, and units, 206 apartments and 59 retirement village units.

The actual value of building work consented in September was NZ$1.6 billion. Residential work was up NZ$151 million (17 percent) to NZ$1.1 billion, while non-residential work was down NZ$110 million (18 percent) to NZ$509 million.

On a yearly basis, new consents jumped 14.0 percent to 29,935. The value rose 24 percent over the same time period.

North Island regions with significant new dwelling increases in the September 2016 year included: Auckland, up 1,239 (14 percent); Waikato, up 845 (31 percent); Bay of Plenty, up 829 (50 percent); Wellington, up 458 (30 percent); and Northland, up 321 (40 percent).

"All nine North Island regions consented more new dwellings in the latest year ended September than in the previous one," business indicators senior manager Neil Kelly said. "This was led by Auckland and nearby regions."