New Zealand building consents fall in January

[WELLINGTON] The number of new dwelling consents approved in New Zealand fell a seasonally adjusted 8.2 per cent in January compared with a 2.3 per cent rise in the prior month, official data showed on Monday.

Statistics New Zealand said the fall was largely due to a fall in building consents for new dwellings in the Canterbury region. "While January is usually a quiet month for building consents, Canterbury had the lowest January number in five years," business indicators senior manager Neil Kelly said.

Excluding apartments, flats, and retirement village units, the number of consents for new house was down 5.6 per cent after a 4.7 per cent rise in the prior month.

The full data is available at http://www.stats.govt.nz.

REUTERS