Buildings consents up 3pc in June

Just 133 apartment consents were issued last month, and nearly 70 per cent were for retirement village units. Photo/Herald on Sunday

The value of non-residential building consents issued in June was the lowest monthly figure since September 2007, at $307 million, Statistics New Zealand (SNZ) says.

That followed record non-residential values in April and May.

Releasing the figures today, SNZ also said the 14,175 new dwellings authorised in the June year was the lowest annual number for a June year since the monthly series started in 1965.

During June consents were issued for 1100 new dwelling units, down 20.3 per cent from a year earlier.

Excluding apartments, 967 dwelling consents were issued last month, down 24.4 per cent from June 2008.

But, compared to May, the seasonally adjusted number of new dwellings authorised was up 3 per cent when apartments were excluded, SNZ said.

Including apartments, the seasonally adjusted number was down 9.5 per cent from May.

Of 133 new apartment units authorised last month, 68 per cent were for assisted-living apartment units associated with retirement villages.

The value of residential building consents in June was $385m, 18 per cent lower than in June 2008.

On a regional basis, Auckland had 3212 dwellings authorised in the June year - 44 per cent fewer than in the year before.

In Canterbury the annual decline was 41 per cent to 2242, and in Waikato it was 42 per cent to 1761.

Despite the low value for non-residential consents in June, the value for the June year was still 7.6 per cent ahead of a year earlier at $4.72 billion.

The value of all consents issued last month was $692m, down 14 per cent from June 2008.

For the year, the value of all consents was down 16 per cent to $9.83b.

- NZPA