BUILDING TRADE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LII, Issue 243, 13 September 1932, Page 10

BUILDING TRADE.

DOMINION FIGURES FOR 1931

LARGE DECREASE SHOWN

Statistics of building permits issued by all cities, boroughs and town districts have now been compiled for 11 years, and the latest returns of the Statistics Department show that the total value of buildings or alterations in the year ended March. 1932, was £2,728,486, or £2,744,909 less than in the previous year’s figures. Private dwellings accounted for approximately two-thirds of the decrease.

Tile aggregate building value for last year was less than one-jjuarter that of the peak year, 1926-27, in which the value of building was £ll,019,389. The total value of new private dwellings for 1931-32 was_£l,o63,467, representing a total of 1555. The value of additions and alterations was £348,293. New private dwellings for 1931-32 show a decrease of £835,253, or 63.3 per cent on the previous year’s figures, and alterations and additions a decline of £155,230. The average value per dwelling, which showed a steady increase practically from £725 in 1921-22 to £BBB in 1929-30, fell to £837 in 1930-31, and has now reached £684. In 1928-29 tho total number of dwellings built was 5212; 1929-30, 5747; 1930-31, 3463. , „ , . The total number of business premises erected was 347, representing a value of £525,858. The value of alterations and additions to existing buildings was £330,162. New business premises during 1931-32 showed a decline of £308,397, equal to 37 per cent, on the previous year’s figures. The total number of buildings in 1928-29 was £770; 1929-30, 725; 1930-31, 475. The following is a comparison of building permits issued in towns of the North and the South Island respectively:—Private dwellings: North Island 958, £639,486; South Island 597, £423,981. Business premises: North Island 269, £472,536; South Island, 78, £53,322. These figures are exclusive of alterations and additions. The greatest building activity per head of population was in Hawke’s Bay, due to the restoration of buildings damaged by the earthquake, the average value per caput being £15.2. Marlborough occupied the lowest level with £1.7, while the New Zealand average was £2.8, as against £5.7, the previous vear.