BUILDING ACTIVITY

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVII, Issue 124, 23 April 1927, Page 9

BUILDING ACTIVITY

PALMERSTON’S HAPPY POSITION. COMPARISON WITH OTHER TOWNS. FIFTH IN DOMINION. , In the amount of building construction authorised for the year ended on March 31 last' Palmerston North occupied fifth place in the Dominion, its figures being eclipsed only by those of Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin. On that fact residents of the town have ample reason for gratification and may confidently look forward to further development .in the future. In point of population Palmerston North is smaller than the four cities named above and also Wanganui and Invercargill, but both these latter towns it eclipsed in the value of its building construction; Last year permits were issued in Palmerston North for the erection of new buildings and additions. and alterations to. existing structures of a total value of £320,760, this figure being the highest ever attained in the history of the borough. For some years prior to 1919 building remained on an even level but thence onward it began to steadily increase, the last three, years seeing record figures established. Last year Wanganui issued permits for the erection of new buildings valued at £349,808 and alterations and additions to the value of £46,887, as against £266,128 and £54,632 in the case of Palmerston North. In the number of houses erected, however, Wanganui slightly led Palmerston North, their total being 208 and Palmerston North’s 202. Invercargill erected new buildings to the value of £155,303, while alterations and additions represented a total outlay of £38,940. New houses totalled 148. In Hamilton the total value of building construction was only £120,929, new structures accounting for £94,008 of this sum. Houses numbered 65. Napier showed £ total value of £160,678 for all classes of building, and 75 houses were erteted.