Mike Bain/cvnznews.com
The Government is celebrating what it calls a “significant turnaround” in New home consents, with more than 40,000 homes approved in the year to June, according to Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. It’s the first time since 2023 that consents have climbed past the 40,000 mark, rising 19 percent across stand‑alone homes, townhouses, and retirement villages. Penk says the lift signals renewed confidence in a sector that has struggled since building activity slumped in 2022.
Minister for Building and Construction
The data, released by Stats NZ, arrives alongside SEEK figures showing demand for construction workers has jumped 35.1 percent compared with last year — making construction the fastest‑growing industry for job advertisements. Penk says the numbers reflect a sector “getting back on its feet” and a Government focused on “fixing the basics and building the future.”
But the announcement lands in a country where homelessness remains stubbornly high, emergency housing motels are still full, and councils like Rotorua are openly grappling with multi‑year housing deprivation. The Government insists its reforms will help close that gap, promising faster approvals, more competition, and fewer bureaucratic choke points.
Key actions include allowing tens of thousands of trusted overseas building products, introducing a mandatory target for 80 percent of inspections to be completed within three working days, and making it easier for private Building Consent Authorities to compete with councils. Penk says these changes will “enable industry to build the homes we need.”
The Government is also pushing what it calls the most significant building‑system reform in a generation. Legislation before Parliament would replace joint and several liability with proportionate liability, introduce mandatory home warranties and professional indemnity insurance, and allow Building Consent Authorities to consolidate functions nationwide. A new 10‑working‑day fast‑track consent pathway is planned for homes incorporating solar or other sustainable features.
Penk says the reforms will boost confidence and activity. Critics will note that confidence is welcome — but actual homes, built and lived in, remain the measure that matters.
