RECORD BUILDING

Evening Star, Issue 23147, 22 December 1938, Page 10

RECORD BUILDING

figures near million mark EXCEED PREVIOUS PEAK YEAR RECORD IN PERMITS ISSUED Building has boomed in Dunedin this year. The total number of permits issued and their value constitute a record which will surely take some eclipsing. Up to to-day, December 22. some 1.003 permits of a total value of £800.284 were issued by the building surveyor. This figure is £222,681 in excess of the total at this time last year.

This huge increase undoubtedly arises owing to the (Government's various housing schemes in different parts of the city’s .suburbs, and also to the boom in building in the city itself, where many warehouses, hotels, and other public buildings have been either extensively remodelled or completely rebuilt. I’rior to the depression of 1930-33, the year 1929 constituted a record in building, the value of the permits issued amounting to £5(55,029. This figure stood unchallenged until last year, but from 3933 onwards the figures began to creep up gradually, until they passed the half-million total in 1937, with 940 permits issued. For the current year, when over three-quarters of a million has been expended upon buildings, the best month was January, when 131 permits, of a total value of £166,385, were issued. November, June, and October were the next best months in that order. The monthly figures during the year are given below. Those for December are calculated up to to-day only, but between now and December 31 very little further business can be expected :—•

The values of the permits issued during tho preceding five years are as follows :- _ „ 1933 £176, /19 1934 £238,908 3935 £314,057 1936 £434,8.30 1937 £577,603

Permits. Total Value. January ... ... 3 31 £166,386 February ... 02 41,955 March 74 40.723 April ... 77 "5,447 ... 01 .39 846 June ... m 92.837 ... 73 37,866 August ... K)6 62,491 September ... 76 41,648 October ... ... 00 90,892 so 100,431 December ... 63 43,704 Total 1,003 £800,284