Non-residential building consents
Building intentions strong in hospital construction
12 Jan 2023
Our take on the latest Non-residential building consents (Thu 12 Jan 2023)
Value of non-res consents
$830m
In November 2022
Consents up 14%pa in year to November 2022
Hospital consents totalled $499m in last three months
The key numbers...
- There was $830m of non-residential building consents issued in November 2022, 20% ($166m) of which came from hospital consents. There was also $116m worth of education building consents and $92m worth of office consents.
- Hospital consents in November 2022 was $58m higher than in November 2021, boosted by $91m worth of consents in Manurewa in Auckland and $21m in Dunedin.
- Factory and industrial building consent values were $87m lower in November 2022 than a year prior. There were significant declines in consents in Selwyn ($69m), Dunedin ($17m), and Lower Hutt ($13m).
- November was a strong month for social, cultural, and religious building consents, up 75%pa from November 2021. In the year to November 2022, there was an additional $32m in consents for this build type issued in Christchurch as construction of Te Kaha stadium gets underway, and repair to the Christ Church Cathedral continues.
Upwards momentum in hospital construction
Annual running total, $m
...and our reaction
- Annual non-residential consents remained at $9.4b in November, driven by strong hospital and social building consents. Hospital building will remain elevated in coming years by large projects in Auckland, Dunedin, and Nelson.
- Social, cultural, and religious building is also expected to support activity in the next two years, with work put in place forecast to reach a peak of $1.2b in the year to June 2024.
- Office building consents remain a large driver of non-residential construction. In a market characterised by labour shortages and wage pressures, some businesses are looking to non-financial incentives to attract workers, including new and upgraded office spaces. Persistent high costs mean that the value of consents will remain elevated, even as some momentum is lost due to a broader economic downturn.
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