BUILDING ACTIVITY

Evening Star, Issue 22462, 6 October 1936, Page 2

BUILDING ACTIVITY

MARKED INCREASE IN DUNEDIN NEARLY £IOO,OOO IN SIX MONTHS An increase of nearly £IOO,OOO is recorded in the total value of building permits issued by the City Council for the past six months as compared with the same period last year. Activity was particularly marked in May, July, and August, and there was a big increase in. the value of permits for every month, with the exception of September, which showed a sharp reverse. This, however, is not regarded as anything more than a coincidence, as there is no indication as yet that building activity is on the wane. The amount of work undertaken since the beginning of the city’s financial year is a definite indication that the trade _ generally is more prosperous than it has been for many years—in fact, it is doubtful if there has ever been so much building construction proceeding in Dunedin at any similar period be fore GOVERNMENT JOBS. It has also to be taken into consideration that the New Post Office is providing a lucrative avenue for employment, and that the value of this contract is not taken into consideration by the city building statistician. During the,last few months, however, Government contracts have been entered in the permit records, the only two of any consequence being the erection of wooden additions at the King Edward Technical College, and the construction of a wooden school in College street for the Education Department. These contracts involved £4,800 and £5,500 respectively. The following table reveals clearly the upward trend in building activity, the figures in parentheses being the number of permits granted:— 1935. 1936.

THE LARGER CONTRACTS. Among tho contracts secured by builders during the six months just ended were the following:—Alterations to City Hotel (£28,000); new brick warehouse in King street for R. A Wilkie Ltd. (£15,500); new show-rooms and garage for Otago Motors Ltd. in Princes street (£10,000); alterations to Donald Reid and Co.’s premises (£2.555); additions to brick store for J. Mill and Co. (£2,400) ; alterations to brick building in George street for Shillings Ltd. (£1.390). Domestic work still continues to provide the bulk of the work for the trade, and, while only 11 permits for new homes were issued during the month of September, no fewer than 37 were granted for the preceding month—a figure which must be almost a record for Dunedin. The value of the houses sanctioned during August was between £6lO (in wood) and £1,700 (in brick) each. Few homes, however, are being erected to-day at the lower figure quoted, and £9OO is about the average price.

£ £ April ... 20,819 (63) 23,808 (71) May 28,166 (75) 57,530 (80) June 23,273 (50) 37,007 (76) July 28,383 (61) 62,881 (67) August 16,579 (51) 53,733 (77) September 55,464 (61) 31,129 (65) Totals £172,684 (361) £263,678 (436)