NEW BUILDINGS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIX, Issue 70, 20 February 1939, Page 9

NEW BUILDINGS.

PROGRESS DURING YEAR. INCREASED VALUE. A substantial increase in the value of buildings erected in New Zealand during the year ended March 31, 1938, is shown in the annual building returns compiled by the Census and Statistics Department. Tlie total value represented by permits for the year 1 was £10,2914313, an increase of £3,710,380, or 56 per cent., over the figures for the year ended March 31, 1937. The movement of building figures for all districts covered by the report is shown in the following table:— Year ended Value. March 31. £ 1929 9,054,421. 1932 2,728,48(3 1935 3,643,688 1938 10,291,613 Since 1924-25 Wellington had headed the list of individual towns, but for tlio year ended March 31, 1938, this supremacy was lost to Auckland, where building permits showed ail increase of 85 per cent, over the previous year. Wellington was second with a total value of £1,324,120, an increase of 36 per cent. Houses erected under the State Housing Scheme during the year numbered 1895. Private dwellings numbered 6043 and were valued at £5,317,037. Tlio vahio of alterations and additions was £603,535. Since 1936-37 individual flats in a block have been counted in the report as separate dwellings. In the year under review 12S blocks of flats were erected, a total of 519 flats, having a total value of £386,795. Of the 128 blocks, 22 were in Wellington. The movement of the figures for private dwellings and other buildings since 1935-36 is shown in the following tables: — PRIVATE DWELLINGS. 1935-56. 1936-37. 1937-38 New buildings— Number . 4,140 4,555 6,043 £ £ £ Value 3,074,774 3,437,780 5,317,037 Valuo of alterations & _ additions . 421,456 527.490 603.535 OTHER BUILDINGS. 1935-36. 1936-37. 1937-38 New buildings— Number ... 771 755 746 £ £ . .£ Value 1,620,962 1,489,546 2,900,363 Value of alterations & additions . 812,611 1,126,417 1,470,678 Tbe following is a comparison of building permits issued in towns of the North and South Islands in 193738 The North Island accounts for 69 per cent, of the building values and 66 per cent, of tho population covered bv the building statistics. North South Private dwellings— _ Island. Island Number of new buildings 4,238 1,805 Value of new buildings 3,704,536 1,612,501 Value of alterations and additions 442,932 160,603 Other buildings— Number of new buildings 663 183 £ £ Valuo of new buildings 2,048,446 851,917 Value of alterations and additions 890,310 580^368