Auckland leads regional home consents

For the year ended March 2019, 13,874 new homes were consented in Auckland, up 24 percent from the March 2018 year, Stats NZ said today.

This significant growth in the number of new homes consented in Auckland contributed to a total 34,516 new homes consented for New Zealand in the March 2019 year.

“New homes consented in Auckland and New Zealand are at levels last seen in the mid-1970s, although the population has risen significantly over the same period,” construction statistics manager Melissa McKenzie said.

“Results have been mixed in other regions, with Nelson, the West Coast, and Manawatu-Wanganui having significant growth in new homes consented this March year, while Marlborough, Bay of Plenty, and Gisborne saw declines,” Ms McKenzie said.

Nelson and Manawatu-Wanganui had large retirement village developments consented in the March 2019 year, which helped boost the total new homes consented. Homes consented in Marlborough fell, reflecting a decrease in consents for stand-alone houses.

Monthly new homes consented remain volatile

In seasonally adjusted terms, the number of new homes consented fell 6.9 percent in March 2019 compared with February 2019. The drop was noticeable because of particularly high January and February numbers (up 13.4 percent and 1.7 percent respectively).

The number of homes consented each month can vary significantly due to the timing of large projects like apartment buildings.