Builders pin hopes on spring as consents fall

The number of new houses being built in New Zealand is still falling and many builders have little work booked.

Statistics NZ said yesterday that 20,902 new housing consents were granted in the year to June last year but that fell to just 12,309 consents in the same period this year.

When apartments were included, consents were issued for 14,175 new housing units, the lowest for a June year since Statistics NZ began gathering data in April 1965.

Commercial building is also suffering. The value of non-residential building consents was $307 million in June, the lowest monthly value since September 2007. But data in April and May showed the two highest monthly values since the series began in 1965.

Warwick Quinn, Master Builders Federation chief executive in Wellington, said many builders who had been booked up for up to a year previously now had work for only the next two to three months.

He expected activity to pick up in spring.

To read the NZ Herald full article click here

Posted: 30 Jul 2009

News articles