Consents hit September slowdown

Seasonally adjusted, new dwelling consents rose just 0.2% compared to 1.5% in August

Statistics New Zealand data shows that a total of 2,550 new dwellings were consented in September.

Year-on-year, the September total – which included 1,892 houses and 206 apartments – was up 308 or 14%.

For houses only, the seasonally adjusted number fell 2.5% following a 4.1% rise in August; however, the overall trend has increased substantially since the low point in early 2011.

Wellington doubles up

Compared to September 2015, new dwelling consents in September 2016 increased in 11 out of the 16 regions led by Wellington (up 168 to 294; +133%), Auckland (up 109 to 752; +17%) and Otago (up 50 to 165; +43%). Bay of Plenty, Hawke’s Bay, Manawatu-Wanganui, Marlborough, Northland, Tasman, Taranaki and West Coast
were the other regions to record an increase.

The massive increase in Wellington was driven by 93 units consented as part of Wellington City Council’s Arlington Apartments project.

The biggest decreases were in Canterbury (down 67 to 458; -13%), Southland (down 17 to 24; -16%) and Waikato (down nine to 311; -3%).

Nelson and Gisborne were the two other regions to consent less new dwellings in September compared to the same month last year.

12-month view

In the year ended September 2016, 29,935 new dwellings were consented, up 14% from the previous corresponding period.

Across the North Island, the number increased 25% compared to a 3.9% decrease across the South Island, including a fall of 737 new dwelling consents in Canterbury.      

The six regions with the largest
increases were:

Auckland – up 1,239 (+14%)

Waikato – up 845 (+31%) 

Bay of Plenty – up 829 (+50%)

Wellington – up 458 (+30%)

Otago – up 408 (+31%)

Northland – up 321 (+40%)