BUILDING ACTIVES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22612, 28 December 1936, Page 13

BUILDING ACTIVES

YEAR'S STATISTICS J .i ; EXPANSION CONTINUES CITY AND SUBURBS MANY NEW DWELLINGS The most 'striking fact shown by the building statistics of tho city and suburban areas for the past year is that the cheerful expansion of this key industry during 1931 and 1935 has continued without serious abatement. This year's figures given in the tables below arc for the period u|> to December 19. Tho city figures for tho value of building permits issued have risen from £o/2,53t> last year to £532,763, an increase of over 31 per cent. The total for the 16 areas regarding which particulars have been obtained lias risen from £995.037 last year to £1,397,279, an increase of about 29 per cent. The improvement has been more evenly spread this year, as last year tho increase over the wholo area was about 47 per cent, while in the city it was only slightly over 21 per cent. The separate figures supplied for permits for new dwellings are of special interest, as showing the progress of tho efforts being made to meet the demand , t for bet'er housing. The number of such permits in the 16 areas under review is 952 this year, as against 809 last year, representing an IS per cent increase. 'I he Government housing programme, while it must have the effect of checking private enterprise, is not yet sufficiently advanced to affect the statistics. City December Figures There was a marked falling off in the number and value of the permits issued in the city during the past month, the value being £31.684 and the number 121. This was the smallest monthly total-recorded since June last year, and compares with 130 permits of a value of £<f,64i issued last December. Included in this month's total arc 25 dwellings and one small school. The monthly totals for the city, with those of the past two years, are as follows: — i rr io iom January .. 75,00(1 23.553 03,105 February .. 00,018 25, 5S(> 23, 23! > Msrch .. 50.21 H) 35.512 02.314 April .. - 77.5U 7 3!>,0(i5 20.271 May .. 52,175 '115,(10!) 'll,2of> June .. !H;.ots 32,250 37.532 July .. 50,325 35,(500 17.12!) August .. 73,557 43,123 1(5.528 September .. 70,008 05,530 28.141 October .. <>.">, ,'37 51,2(52 52.015 November .. 50,213 1)5.1(54 7(i,r> >;; 0 December .. 31,(5i>t 76,050 21.28S 532.7G3 572,53(5 -172.353 The statistics for the suburban areas show for the most part a decided advance, although there are two exceptions. In Mount Roskill the total fell from £75.255 to £45,903, and it is significant that the falling off became marked from September onward, when building costs began to advance. Up to the end of August the figures were ahead of those for 1935. It is estimated that building prices are now at least 25 per cent above what they were a year ago. Onehunga was the only other area to show a falling off, the decrease there being from £31,275 to £27,986.

Remarkable Results Some of the minor boroughs show very remarkable results. In ' Newmarket, for instance, the value of the building undertaken in 1934 was £3382. Last year that was multiplied more than fourfold to £16,046, and this year it has been much more than doubled to reach £39,091. The house building permits in Newmarket are for three blocks of 12 fiats. In New Lynn, the figure has risen from £1930 in 193-5 to £12,052, giving an increase of something approaching 800 per cent. The marked increase in the figures for One Tree Hill, which this year comes next after the city, are chiefly accounted for by additions to works for, the Auckland Farmers' Freezing Company, Limited, at Penrose, at a cost of £29,000. Very striking is the increased building activity in the outer areas, particularly in the Manukau County, where there lias' been an increase -approaching 200 per cent, and in the Waitemata County, where the total has been almost doubled. Although Otahuhu is not included this year, these areas give the substantial total of £159,176, or rather more than double the £78,467 returned for 1935. Included in the Manurewa figures is a permit of £2400 for a milk products factory. Devonport and Northcote are missing from the North Shore returns, but Takapuna and Birkenhead show gratifying increases. The total for these two of £47,533 compares quite favourably with the total of £59,962 for the four boroughs last year. Comparative Tables The following tables give the 1936 and 1935 figures for the areas for which the comparative record is available. — Metropolitan Area 1930 1035 £ £ Auckland City .. 832,7 W 572,.WJ One Tree Hill 77,253 40,(M0 .Mount Eden 70,007 70,001 Mount Albert .. 03,.710 57,018 Mount fioskill .. 45,003 75,285 Newmarket .. 30,001 10,0 Hi Onehuiuja .. 27,080 31,275 Ellerfjie ' .. 15,385 0,181 New Lynn a< 12,082 1,930 1,100,570 881,784 Outer Areas £ St Mannkau County .. 01,001 22,030 Waitfniata County .. 00,083 31,401 Papatoetoe .. Papakura .. 7.774 5,013 Manurewa .. 4,508 2,132 159,170 78,407 North Shore Borcughb £ £ Takapuna .. 37,075 31,244 Birkenhead 0,558 4,142 .17,533 35,380 Grand totals £1,307,270 £005,037 New Dwelling Permits The following table shows the number of permits for new dwellings issued by local bodies this year and last year: 1930 1035 Auckland City .. 373 200 Mount Eden .. 54 47 Mount. Albert .. 08 58 Mount ,?{i>skill .. OL 77 One Treo Hill .. -'3 l 23 Onehtinca .. 45 Ellerslie .. New Lynn ..14 Newmarket .. , Mannkau County . 47 ' 4V.'aitrmata County 170 13|» P.'-pa tort no .. 30 *•' Pa pa k u ra .. V fj .Manurewa .. 2 Takapuna .. «8 30 Birkenhead •• 12 0 ~082 KOO The total number of permits issued in the suburban districts during the past vear were as follows, the figures for 1935 being given in parentheses: One Tree Hill, 119 (100); Mount Eden, 281 (231); Mount Albert, 297 (263); Mount Uoskill, 180 (307); Newmarket, 89 (62); Onohunga, 183 (187); Ellcrslie, 61 (16); New Lvnn, 56 (36); Manukau County, 208 (149); Waitemata County, 303 (259); Papatoetoe, 57 () Papakura, 30 (26); Manurewa, 53 (22); Takapuna, 130 (134); Birkenhead, oi (38); Devonport, 122 (—). The total this year is 2220, as against a cones* ponding estimated total last year of 1890.