Residential Consent Values High for July Month

Embargoed until 10:45am – 30 August 2006

Residential Consent Values High for July Month

The value of consents issued for residential buildings in July 2006 was the highest recorded for a July month since the series began in 1990, Statistics New Zealand said today. The value of consents issued for residential buildings was $612 million in July 2006, compared with $495 million in July 2005 and $567 million in July 2004. This was also a strong July month overall, recording the second highest all buildings value for a July month since the series began.

The value of consents issued for non-residential buildings in July 2006 was $283 million, $19 million higher than for the same month last year. Offices and administration buildings (up $49 million) showed the largest increase, while education buildings (down $19 million) showed the largest decrease.

Consents for 2,145 new dwelling units, including apartments, were issued in July 2006, compared with 2,005 the previous July. New dwellings, excluding apartments, contributed 1,888 units to the total number of new dwelling units in July 2006, compared with 1,636 in July 2005.

The South Island (up 147 units) was the main contributor to the increase in the number of new dwelling units authorised in July 2006, compared with July 2005. Canterbury (up 78 units) and Otago (up 52 units) recorded the largest increases when comparing the two July months.

There were 257 apartment units authorised in July 2006, compared with 81 in June and 217 in May.

Apartment units accounted for 12 percent of all new dwelling units authorised in July 2006, compared with a monthly average of 13 percent for the year prior to July 2006.

Cathryn Ashley-Jones
Acting Government Statistician

ENDS

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