Residential buildings
In May 2009, consents were issued for:
- 1,238 new dwellings, including apartments
- 963 new dwellings, excluding apartments
- 275 new apartments.
Excluding apartments, the seasonally adjusted number of new dwellings authorised fell 3.1 percent in May 2009, after rising 4.5 percent in April 2009. The trend for the number of authorised new dwellings, excluding apartments, has fallen 54 percent since the recent peak in June 2007. The decline in the trend is showing signs of easing.
Apartments contributed 22 percent to the number of new dwellings authorised in May 2009, compared with a monthly average of 11 percent for the previous 12 months. Apartment numbers can vary considerably from month to month. In the first five months of this year, over a third of the consents for apartment units have been for assisted living apartments associated with retirement villages. Currently these are coded as residential apartment units.
The seasonally adjusted number of new dwellings, including apartments, authorised in May 2009 rose 3.5 percent, after rising 12 percent in April 2009. The trend for the number of authorised new dwellings, including apartments, has been increasing since January 2009 after a series of falls that began in July 2007.
The value of residential building consents was $408 million in May 2009, 26 percent lower than in May 2008. The trend of the value has fallen 44 percent since its peak in June 2007.
Regional residential results
Fewer new dwelling units were authorised in 13 of New Zealand's 16 regions in May 2009 compared with May 2008. Numbers fell by 228 units in the North Island, and by 187 units in the South Island.
The regions with the largest decreases in the number of new dwellings authorised for May 2009 compared with May 2008 were:
- Waikato, with 128 units, down 115 units
- Manawatu-Wanganui, with 34 units, down 90 units (0 apartment units in May 2009 compared with 61 apartment units in May 2008)
- Canterbury, with 180 units, down 89 units (11 apartment units in May 2009 compared with 0 apartment units in May 2008)
- Northland, with 29 units, down 60 units.
The two regions with an increase for May 2009 compared with May 2008 were:
- Auckland, with 430 units, up 108 units (223 apartment units in May 2009 compared with 43 apartment units in May 2008)
- Taranaki, with 50 units, up 2 units (17 apartment units in May 2009 compared with 0 apartment units in May 2008).
Non-residential buildings
The value of non-residential building consents was $479 million in May 2009, an increase of 35 percent compared with May 2008. The non-residential building consents value is one of the highest monthly values recorded and has been boosted by consents issued for sports stadiums around the country.
The three largest contributors to the value of non-residential building consents authorised in May 2009 were:
- social, cultural and religious buildings, at 27 percent
- offices and administration buildings, at 16 percent
- shops, restaurants, and taverns, at 11 percent.
The building types with the largest increases for May 2009 compared with May 2008 were:
- social, cultural and religious buildings, up $106 million (includes sports stadiums)
- hostels and boarding houses, up $47 million.
The building types with the largest decreases for May 2009 compared with May 2008 were:
- education buildings, down $28 million
- storage buildings, down $19 million.
All buildings
In May 2009, the value of consents issued for all buildings was $888 million, a decrease of 2.3 percent compared with May 2008. In four of the first five months of this year the value of non-residential building consents exceeded the value of residential building consents. Before this year, the last month this occurred was June 1998.
For the year ended May 2009 compared with the year ended May 2008, the total value of consents issued for:
- all buildings was $9,939 million, down $2,018 million (17 percent)
- residential buildings was $5,197 million, down $2,323 million (31 percent)
- non-residential buildings was $4,741 million, up $305 million (7 percent).
For technical information contact:
Clara Eatherley or Tehseen Islam
Christchurch 03 964 8700
Email: info@stats.govt.nz.
Next release ...
Building Consents Issued: June 2009 will be released on 29 July 2009.