BUILDING ACTIVITIES

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 28, 27 October 1928, Page 26

BUILDING ACTIVITIES

DECREASE IN VALUE LAST YEAR FALLING-OFF IN HOUSE ' ERECTIONS The outstanding feature disclosed by the report of the Government Statistician on building activities in the Dominion during the year 1927-28 is a decrease of £1,354,173 in building values compared with the previous year. This decline is in great part attributed to a slackening off in the erection of private dwellings. New private dwellings in 192<-28 numbered 1489 less than in 1926-~<, the decline in value being £1,310,048. The average value per dwelling, which showed a steady increase from £(-o in 1921-22 to £B6l in 192a-26, and fell to £855 in 1926-27, has again shown a slight fall, to £849. The average cost of wooden dw&Uihgs in 1927-28 was £<ol and that of dwellings in other materials £ll4B. . , , .... The following comparison of building permits issued in towns of the North and South Islands respectively is in favour of the North Island, even when allowance

Provincial Districts. The following summary gives the total value of all building permits issued by the various municipalities covered in each provincial district: the population of the areas dealt with is added to afford a com-

Wellington In the Lead. Wellingtpn city, with a total of over £2,000,000, again occupies the preniier position in value of building operations. Auckland is again second, while Lower Hutt has shown a big increase in occupying third place, with Dunedin city fourth, and Christchurch city fifth. The following list quotes the value of building permits issued for all towns where a limit of £lOO,OOO was reached and is a fairly good index of general growth:— Value of Building Permits, 1927-28. ■ £ Wellington City 2,024,291 Auckland City' 1,499,330 Lower Hutt Borough 671,838 Dunedin City . 659,85 i Christchurch City 621,802 Palmerston North Borough .. 253,528 Otahuhu Borough 224,847 Petone Borough 203,080 Wanganui City 164,465 Mount Albert Borough 157,;>01 Invercargill Borough 154,911 New Plymouth Borough .... 140,635 Titnaru Borough 139,532 Mount Eden Borough 128,053 Napier Borough 126,620 One Tree Hill Road District . 120,431 Hastings Borough .119,284 Mount Roskill Road District . 118.34 Q Onehunga Borough 111,1S8

is made for the disparity in poj North pulation: — South Island. Island. Private DwellingsNo. of new 4,108 1,582 buildings .. Value of new £1,252.501 buildings. .. Value of al£3,579,025 terations and additions ... £519,428 £142,321 Business '■Premises No. of new 239 buildings .. Value of new 683 £367,849 buildings ... Value of al£2,119,740 terations and additions .. £419.324 £220,973 Other Buildings— No. of new buildings .. Value of new 245 £161,399 buildings .. Value of al£647,218 terations and additions .. £145,004 £90,434

parison:— Value Population r Auckland .. 3,329,649 295,545 Hawke's Bay ... 324,471 40,055 Taranaki 223,986 31,440 Wellington .. 3,551,633 210.650 Marlborough ... 49,426 6,635 Nelson 96,059 17,925 Westland 96,528 12.560 Canterbury •... Otago— 894,274 135,800 Otago 860,041 101,210 Southland .... 239,149 31,970 Total .. 9,665.216 8S3.790