Apartment numbers highest since May 2009

Apartment numbers highest since May 2009

The number of approved new houses rose 26 percent in July 2012, compared with July 2011, Statistics New Zealand said today. There were 1,478 new houses consented in July, including 235 apartments.

"Apartments boosted the increase in new housing consented in July," industry and labour statistics manager Blair Cardno said. "In July, 235 new apartments were consented, the highest number since May 2009."

Housing consent numbers for July 2012, compared with July 2011, were:

• 1,478 new houses, including apartments (up 26 percent) • 1,243 new houses, excluding apartments (up 20 percent) • 235 new apartments, 70 of which were retirement village units (up from 130 apartments). Canterbury had the largest regional increase in new housing numbers in July 2012. The growth in Canterbury was from Christchurch city, and neighbouring districts Waimakariri and Selwyn. The nextlargest regional increase was in Auckland, which was boosted by apartments.

Compared with June 2012, and after removing seasonal fluctuations, the number of new houses including apartments increased 2.0 percent in July 2012. But the number of new houses excluding apartments decreased 2.5 percent. The trend for both series seems to be flattening, after rising during much of 2011 and 2012.

In Canterbury, earthquake-related building consents totalled $59 million in July 2012, the highest monthly total since the Canterbury earthquakes began in September 2010. Of this, $41 million was for nonresidential work and $18 million was for residential work, including 33 new houses.

Data for building consents is obtained from all territorial authorities in New Zealand.

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