The number of new building projects authorized for construction New Zealand . Building Permits, or Building Consents, are issued when a building project has been authorized to begin construction. Since Building Consents serve as one of the earliest signals of expanded housing supply, the report is a leading indicator for the overall housing market. Also, because of the high outlays needed for construction projects Building Permits suggests optimism for corporate or consumer spending. Lastly, housing indicators are popular leading indicators due to the multiplier effect that they have on the rest of the economy. The headline is the percentage change in new consents for the month.

Note: When looking deeper into the report it is important to analyze in detail what the type of projects the consents are for, as Building Consents include residential housing as well as â??big-ticket' non-residential buildings and government projects that can create large gyrations in the report month to month.

Relevance: Rarely affects markets
Release schedule : 22:45 (GMT); monthly, one month after the following month
Source of report : Business New Zealand
Web Address : http://www.stats.govt.nz/default.htm
Address of release : http://www.stats.govt.nz/economy/industry/construction.htm
Refer Building Consents Issued
AKA: Building Consent