Building Consents Issued - May 2000
There were 2,103 new dwellings authorised in May 2000 valued at $295.6 million, acccording to latest figures from
Statistics New Zealand. This is the highest monthly total since November 1999 and follows last month's total which was
the lowest since January 1994 at 1,405.
The underlying trend for the number of new dwellings has been declining for 10 months, however, the rate of decline
appears to have tapered off a little in the last few months. Of the new dwellings authorised in May a large number were
apartment units: 433 units valued at $41.9 million. Apart from 56 units in Christchurch all of the apartment units
authorised were in the North Island.
The total value of non-residential building project consents was $217.7 million. This is also the highest this year and
follows the record low recorded last month. Shops, restaurants and taverns contributed the greatest amount to the total
for non-residential buildings with consents worth $36.5 million, while both hospitals and nursing homes, and education
buildings recorded monthly totals of over $32 million.
There were no particularly large individual projects driving the non-residential buildings result, since all individual
consents issued were valued at under $10 million. The underlying trend for the value of non-residential building
projects has been declining since October, however, the rate of decline has increased over the last few months.
The total value of all building consents issued was $580.9 million, the highest total since November 1999.
Dianne Macaskill
Acting Government Statistician
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