40-year high for home consents issued to government

Home consents issued to central government agencies reached a 40-year high in the year ended December 2018, Stats NZ said today.

Central government agencies, including Housing New Zealand, were granted consent for 1,999 new homes in 2018, which is the highest number since the year ended November 1978 when 2,105 were consented.

“There has been significant increases in new home consents issued to central government agencies in the last few years, with levels approaching those last seen in the 1970s,” construction statistics manager Melissa McKenzie said.

However, private owners (including developers) accounted for 94 percent of the 32,996 new homes consented in the year ended December 2018.

Partnerships between the government and private developers to build new homes may not be reflected in the central government numbers as the results depend on who was listed as the owner on the consent form.

Townhouses, flats, and units accounted for almost half of the new homes consented to central government in 2018. In comparison, of all new homes consented (to both government and the private sector) only a fifth were townhouses, flats, and units.

The majority of consents for townhouses, flats, and units issued to central government in 2018 were for the Auckland region. There have been significant increases in new homes consented to government in Auckland since 2016. Central government agencies also sought consent for many more new homes in Canterbury following the 2011 earthquakes.

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