Non-residential building consents

Strong office buildings sustain non-residential consent levels

30 Nov 2022
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Joel Glynn

Our take on the latest Non-residential building consents (Wed 30 Nov 2022)

Value of non-res consents
$825m
In October 2022
Consents up 18%pa in three months to October 2022
Office consents up 150%pa in three months to October 2022

The key numbers...

  • There was $825m of non-residential building consents issued in October, edging up 0.2% from last year.
  • The biggest positive contributions to activity in the year to October came from office and factory buildings, which totalled $1.7b and $1.5b respectively. Office consents (which include public transport buildings) were boosted in October by a $42m consent for Auckland’s City Rail Link and a $39m consent as part of ACC’s new building in Dunedin. Factory consents included a $30m consent for KiwiRail’s workshops in Christchurch and $23m of consents in neighbouring Selwyn.
  • The softest consent type in the last 12 months was hospital buildings, which fell $191m as large consents in New Plymouth, Wellington, and Whāngārei fell out of the numbers. However, work seems close to getting underway on Dunedin Hospital, with a $33m consent in October set to be the first of many
  • Non-residential consents in Waikato recorded the largest growth in the year to October, up $81m, including sizable increases in storage and education building in Hamilton.

Office building drives non-res consent growth

Annual % change for three months ended October 2022
4408

...and our reaction

  • Annual non-residential consents totalled $9.4b in October, the same as last month. Non-residential consents have been strong in the last 18 months, but it is too early to say whether momentum is easing given October 2021’s figure was boosted by a $150m hospital consent.
  • The momentum of office, storage, and factory building consents has fuelled recent strength in consents, and office building in particular shows no signs of slowing. Going forward, hospital building consents are set to increase, with a large national programme of hospital redevelopment set to get underway from early 2023.
  • Rising interest rates and increasing pessimism about the economic outlook are likely to reduce private sector activity in coming months. However, current momentum in office building consents, and high levels of anticipated hospital building consents, will provide support to activity over the next 6-12 months.

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 2025
Premium
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 2025
49% Public sector consents from May 2025
Non-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 years
Non-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