The number of new residential building consents surpassed the previous quarterly record of 10,713, set in December 1973. That suggests an increasing number of new homes could be consented this year if the current trends continue.

However the number of homes per 1,000 residents being consented is still low compared to population size. "If population size is considered, the figures from the 1970s are still much higher," Statistics NZ's construction statistics manager Michael Heslop said. Just under eight homes were consented per 1,000 residents in 2020, compared to 13.4 in 1973.

According to Stats NZ, in the 12 months to the end of December 2020, 39,420 new dwellings were consented. In December 3,751 new dwellings were consented, with townhouses/flats and units continuing to reflect the largest area of growth making up almost one third of all homes consented.

In the December 2020 year, commercial consents totalled $7 billion, down 5.5% from the last 12 months. The commercial building types with the highest values were Education buildings, storage buildings and office, administration, and public transport buildings.

Image: Photo by Diri on Unsplash

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