Seasonally adjusted series
Movements in the monthly series for seasonally adjusted dwelling numbers for March to June 2008 should be treated with caution. During this period, these series exhibited greater variability than usual. This was due to the high number of dwellings, particularly apartments, authorised in April 2008, and because of the impact of Easter being in March this year instead of April.
Residential buildings
In September 2008, consents were issued for:
- 1,635 new dwellings including apartments
- 1,269 new dwellings excluding apartments
- 366 new apartment units.
Apartments contributed 22 percent to the number of new dwellings authorised in September 2008, compared with a monthly average of 9 percent for the previous 12 months.
The trend for the number of authorised new dwellings including apartments has been falling since mid-2007. The trend has fallen 41 percent since then, and is at its lowest level since January 1983.
In September 2008, the seasonally adjusted number of authorised new dwellings excluding apartments fell 0.8 percent. However, when apartments are included, the number rose 8.4 percent due to the higher number of apartments authorised in September compared with recent months.
For the year ended September 2008, compared with the previous September year, the authorised number of:
- new dwellings, including apartments, fell 19 percent
- new dwellings, excluding apartments, fell 20 percent
- apartments fell 12 percent.
The value of authorised residential building consents was $558 million in September 2008 (a decrease of 7.6 percent compared with September 2007). The trend has been falling since the peak in June 2007.
For the year ended September 2008, residential building consents valued at $6,788 million were issued, a decrease of 13 percent from the September 2007 year.
---PDF BREAK---
Regional residential results
In eight of New Zealand's 16 regions, fewer new dwelling units were authorised in September 2008 than in September 2007. Numbers fell by 132 in the North Island and by 221 in the South Island.
For the year ended September 2008, fewer new dwellings were authorised in thirteen of the 16 regions, compared with the previous September year. The largest decreases were:
- Auckland, down 1,399 units (22 percent)
- Canterbury, down 1,204 units (26 percent)
- Waikato, down 1,143 units (30 percent).
The three regions authorising more new dwellings in the year ended September 2008 compared with the previous year were:
- Wellington, up 172 units (8.2 percent)
- Southland, up 41 units (10.3 percent)
- Gisborne, up 6 units (3.7 percent).
Non-residential buildings
The value of authorised non-residential building consents was $450 million in September 2008, an increase of 51 percent compared with September 2007 (which was the lowest September month since 2003). This total was boosted by four consents valued at $19 million or more each. Six of the 11 building types recorded increases in the value of consents compared with September 2007.
The largest contributor to the value of consents authorised in the year ended September 2008 was offices and administration buildings, at 22 percent. Three building types contributed 12 percent each (education buildings; shops, restaurants and taverns; and factories and industrial buildings).
For the year ended September 2008 compared with September 2007, the largest changes were:
- shops, restaurants and taverns, down $234 million
- education buildings, up $198 million
- farm buildings, up $129 million
- offices and administration buildings, up $111 million.
For the year ended September 2008, non-residential building consents valued at $4,531 million were issued, an increase of 10 percent from the September 2007 year.
All buildings
In September 2008, the value of consents issued for all buildings was $1,008 million, an increase of 12 percent compared with September 2007.
Residential buildings contributed 55 percent to the total value of all buildings in September 2008, while non-residential buildings contributed 45 percent. For the previous 12 months, the average monthly contribution of residential buildings was 61 percent.
For the year ended September 2008, the total value of consents issued for all buildings was $11,319 million, down $575 million (4.8 percent) from the September 2007 year. For the latest year, the value of consents issued for residential buildings fell $1,006 million, while the value for non-residential buildings rose $431 million.
For technical information contact:
Tina Waterhouse or Tehseen Islam
Christchurch 03 964 8700
Email: info@stats.govt.nz
Next release ...
Building Consents Issued: October 2008 will be released on 28 November 2008.