Consents continue upward trend

The number of new dwelling consents continues to rise, hitting a new seven-year high for the second consecutive month 

The seasonally adjusted trend for the number of new dwellings consented, including apartments, rose 0.1% to its highest level since August 2007. In July, 2,282 new dwellings were consented, including 373 apartments.

Auckland (849) and Canterbury (609) accounted for the majority of the increase. Of the 373 apartments consented, 325 were in Auckland, 12 in Canterbury and 10 in Otago. No new apartments were consented in Wellington, compared to 71 in July 2013.

Excluding apartments, the seasonally adjusted number of new dwelling consents fell 2% to 1,909.

Consented dwellings increase in six regions

Compared to July 2013, new dwelling consents, including apartments, rose in six out of the 16 regions. The largest increases were in Auckland (up 293 to 849), Canterbury (up 102 to 609) and Otago (up 60 to 132). The other regions to record an increase were Waikato, Tasman and Southland.

The largest decreases in new dwellings consented, including apartments, were in Wellington (down 50 to 119), Manawatu-Wanganui (down 16 to 31) Northland (down 10 to 60) and the West Coast (down 10 to 16). Other regions to record a decrease were Bay of Plenty, Gisborne, Hawke’s Bay and Taranaki.