High house build rate welcomed

The 23,370 new houses consented in the last year is a further sign the Government's housing reforms are working, Housing Minister Dr Smith said today in welcoming the latest figures from Statistics New Zealand.

“This house build rate is the strongest in seven years and shows the residential building sector is booming,” Dr Smith says.

“I am particularly encouraged by the record new house build rate in Christchurch where the housing market is very tight. Three hundred and eighty-two houses for a single month is a phenomenal rate and almost four times the long-term house build monthly rate pre-earthquake. The 3651 homes consented in Christchurch in the year to June 2014 is over double the 1730 built in the previous year to June 2013. The only answer to Christchurch’s housing pressures is more homes and these house build rates show we are going as fast as humanly possible.

“Good progress is also being made in Auckland where 6826 new consents were issued in the year to June 2014, up 28 per cent on the previous year. The June 2014 rate of 553 new houses consented compares with 500 in June 2013, 264 in June 2012 and a low of only 205 homes in Labour’s last month in office.

“We are making good progress in our policies to improve the supply and affordability of housing. We have sorted out the problems in Christchurch’s building consenting, freed up land in Auckland and reduced building material duties and tariffs. This week’s law change to reduce development contributions on housing developments will be of further help,” Dr Smith says.