Non-residential building consents

Non-res consents falter in September

2 Nov 2021

Our take on the latest Non-residential building consents (Tue 2 Nov 2021)

Value of non-res consents
$605m
In September 2021
Consents down 20%pa in September
$104m University of Auckland consent supports numbers

The key numbers...

  • The value of non-residential consents fell by 20%pa in September, with $605m of consents.
  • A large $104m consent for the University of Auckland softened the decline in consents. September’s result would have otherwise been incredibly weak, with consents falling 34% when this single consent is excluded. 
  • As a result of the university consent, education consents were the biggest contributor to growth in September, up $130m (213%) than a year earlier. 
  • One of the weakest building types was hotel consents, which fell a massive 91%pa, with only $4m of hotel consents nationally, compared to $44m a year prior.
  • The biggest regional drag on growth was Auckland, with consents down $66m from a year ago. The next largest decline was in Wellington, with consents down $65m.

Value of non-residential consents

Annual running total, $b
4087

...and our reaction

  • September was a weak month for non-residential consents, but consents can be very patchy and volatile on a month-to-month basis. 
  • It is possible we are seeing some caution affecting consents, as the country remained uncertain of how the Delta outbreak would play out throughout September. 
  • The negative effect of lockdown on investment intentions in Auckland is apparent, with the region contributing the most to the decline in consents, despite the large university consent softening the fall.