April New Dwellings Maintain High Level

April New Dwellings Maintain High Level

Consents were issued for 2,486 new dwelling units in April 2004, according to Statistics New Zealand. This is up 254 units or 11 percent, compared with April 2003.

Consents for 588 new apartment units were issued in April 2004, compared with 548 in March 2004, and 559 in February 2004.

Consents for 31,677 new dwelling units were issued in the year ended April 2004, up 12 percent compared with the year ended April 2003. The total number of new dwelling units for the year ended April 2004 is the largest total recorded for an April year since 1976.

Twelve out of 16 regions recorded more new dwelling units in April 2004, compared with April 2003. Auckland (up 197 units) recorded the largest increase when comparing the two April months, followed by Canterbury (up 76 units) and Northland (up 56 units). The Wellington region (down 153 units) recorded the largest decrease when comparing the two April months.

The total value of consents issued for non-residential buildings was $239 million in April 2004.

Consents issued for shops, restaurants and taverns were worth $57 million (24 percent) of the total in April 2004. This was followed by consents issued for offices and administration buildings worth $35 million (15 percent), education buildings worth $27 million (11 percent), and storage buildings worth $24 million (10 percent).

The total value of consents issued for all buildings was $759 million in April 2004, following totals of $996 million in March 2004, and $773 million in February 2004. For the year ended April 2004, the total value of consents for all buildings was $9,734 million, up $1,581 million (19 percent) when compared with the year ended April 2003.

Brian Pink

Government Statistician

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