Our take on the latest Non-residential building consents (Wed 30 Sept 2020)
Value of non-res consents
$659m
In August 2020
Total non-residential consents grew 19%pa in August
Factory consents grew 75%pa in August
The key numbers...
- The value of non-residential consents climbed 19%pa in August, with $659m worth of consents in the month.
- Factory buildings contributed the most to growth, followed by warehouses, with $58m and $44m more consents than a year prior respectively.
- The strong growth in factory buildings was concentrated in Auckland, with $77m more factory consents in the region than a year ago, accounting for 102% of the growth in the region.
The sectors to watch
Contribution to annual % change, three months ended Aug-20
...and our reaction
- Warehouse consents have shown momentum in the last three months, possibly in preparation of shifting retail preferences in a post-COVID world, with more online and less bricks-and-mortar retailing, requiring more warehouse storage.
- Consents from the private sector have far outweighed those from the public sector, which comes as a surprise given the position businesses are in coming out of lockdown.
- We still expect non-residential consents to soften in coming months, as business financial pressures begin to bite, and weak investment intentions show through.
Latest updates
Premium
Non-residential building consents
Warehouses prevent further non-res falls in June
Mon 3 Aug 2026
Monthly
$701m Value of non-res consents in June 2026
7.4% Total non-res consents from May 2026 (seas adj)37%pa Warehouse consents from June 2025Premium
Non-residential building consents
Non-res consents weaker still in May
Thu 2 Jul 2026
Monthly
$789m Value of non-res consents in May 2026
19% Monthly consents from May 202549% Public sector consents from May 2025Non-residential building consents
Non-res consents mostly softer in April
Wed 3 Jun 2026
Monthly
$655m Value of non-res consents in April 2026
15% Monthly consents from April 2025
Office and education consents at lowest monthly levels in 5-6 yearsNon-residential building consents
Consents strong in March, but shadow of conflict looms
Fri 1 May 2026
Monthly
$862m Value of non-res consents in March 2026
15% Monthly consents from Mar 2025$119m Hostel consents from Mar 2025