New home permits drop off

Press, 28 May 1983, Page 21

New home permits drop off

PA Wellington More than 3500 fewer building permits for new homes were issued during the year ending last April, compared with the same period in 1982. Figures released by the Government statistician, Dr J. H. Darwin, show that in the year ended April, 1982, there were 19,290 building permits issued for houses and flats.

But for the year ended April, 1983, that figure fell to 15,741 — an 18.4 per cent drop. Dr Darwin said that the figure for the year was an estimate based on early returns from local authorities and allowing for Government work. During last month permits were issued for 1260 new dwellings, a 16.8 per

cent decrease from the figure of 1514 in April last year. The Minister of Housing, Mr Friedlander, said the latest building permit figures represented a “favourable level” of housing construction. “The high level of building activity last year and the fact that the latest figures are still running higher than the corresponding figures in 1980 and 1981, means that this level of activity is a further encouraging sign for the building industry,” he said. The figures also indicated that building was stabilising at a level comparable to recent years. “As the economy picks up I will expect building starts to increase from this base level of activity.”