The number of housing units authorised for construction fell 9.5 percent in May, according to Statistics New Zealand.
It follows a 13.4 percent rise in April, however the numbers exclude apartments.
Consents drop a further 9.6 percent when apartments are included – on the back of an 8.4 percent rise in April.
Business statistics manager Louise Holmes-Oliver says the numbers reflect “short-term behaviour and in recent months has been influenced by increased variability, which differs from the normal seasonal pattern”.
The number of new housing units authorised has been increasing since early 2009, but still 30 percent lower than its peak in June 2007.
Residential building consents were issued for 1,333 new housing units and 27 new apartments.
The value of consents issued for residential buildings rose 8 percent to $416 million.
Meanwhile the value of non-residential buildings fell 17 percent to $802 million in May 2010, compared with a year earlier.
3 News