The figures from Statistics New Zealand show that there were 1,755 new houses, including apartments, consented in April 2013, the highest number since April 2008, when 2,373 were consented, including 771 apartments.
‘April was a bumper month for building consents for new houses across the country. While the numbers were higher in Canterbury and Auckland this month, compared with April 2012, the rest of the country also made a significant contribution to the increase,’ said Blair Cardno, industry and labour statistics manager.
‘In particular, Wellington and Otago regions together consented 185 apartments, boosting new house numbers there,’ he added.
Housing consent for new homes including apartments increased by 43% year on year, for new homes excluding apartments they jumped 41% year on year and consents for apartment were more or less flat.
The seasonally adjusted number of new houses, including apartments, increased 19% in April 2013, up from an 8.3% fall in March. The firms that that monthly changes in the seasonally adjusted number can be volatile, partly due to the rise and fall in apartment numbers.
The trend for the number of new houses, including apartments, has increased for 25 consecutive months. March 2011 was an historic low in the trend series, and the level is now 61% higher than that.
In Canterbury earthquake related building consents were valued at $52 million, including 49 new houses.
The data also shows that non residential building consents were valued at $308 million in April 2013, up 35% compared with April 2012.
