Last Month Found Builders Very Busy

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 705, 3 July 1929, Page 6

Last Month Found Builders Very Busy

JUNE ALMOST RECORD NEW CITY BUILDINGS Building operations, which have been more than usually active in the city during the past six months, show no signs of diminishing. Last month came very close to being a record one as far as the issue of building permits is concerned, authority being given from the Town Hall for building of various kinds to be put in band to ! the value of £302,708. This figure is nearly three times as great as that : of May, and is in similar ratio to the I figure for June of last year. The most substantial item in last [ month's figure is the issue of a perr mit, involving £220,000, for the erecL tion of the Civic Theatre on the Civic Square. No other works of a large nature are indicated, although there r are several dwellings the cost of which will run into £3,000 and its vicinity. Had there been other large contracts to include it is possible the figure might have soared into the proximity of a record building month of October last, when the new railway station contract of £328,000 lifted the month’s aggregate to £432,818. The half-year now closed has witnessed an all-round Increase in building activity. Permits to the value of £875,455 have been issued, as against £695,488 for the corresponding six months of last year, an increase of £179,967. The following table compares the value of permits issued at the Town Hall during the first six months of 1929 and 1928:

The number of permits issued during June was 198. Beyond the permit for the Civic Theatre, few large contracts are indicated. One of the items, £4,800, relates to the alterations being carried out to the Auckland Police Station. There is no reason for attributing the increased amount of building to commercial enterprise only. Residential building, as far as the city is concerned, continues to be extremely active, and the average one new house a day, which prevailed last year, is now being substantially increased. Permits for 251 houses have so far been issued this year, against 183 during the first half of last year. Following are the number of permits for dwellings, the corresponding 1928 figures being shown in parentheses: l — March, 46 (39); April, 44 (26); May, 43 (28) ; June, 40 (33).

1929 1928 January .. £125,599 £68,051 February .. 141,804 211,809 March .. .. .. 106,441 98,866 April 53,785 May 103,437 June 159,540 Totals .. £875,455 £695,488