The number of building consents issued continues to rise, with the monthly value of building consents issued in Auckland exceeding $1 billion for the first time. More than $700 million is driven by residential projects, reflecting the robustness of this market.

According to Stats NZ, in the 12 months to the end of September 2020, 37,725 new dwellings were consented — up 3.5% compared to the previous 12 months. For the month of September, 3,605 new dwellings were consented, with houses and townhouses/flats/units reflecting the largest area of growth.

Auckland accounted for 1,743 of these dwellings. This was the highest number of monthly new homes consented in Auckland since October 2002, and nationally since May 2019.

In the September 2020 year, the commercial building types with the highest values were storage buildings ($1.1 billion), education buildings ($1.1 billion) and office, administration, and public transport buildings ($958 million).

Although consents are an indication of intention rather than work being undertaken, they suggest the sector remains positive despite recent economic challenges.