Dunedin is having a mini house-building boom by the look of the latest Statistics New Zealand figures for new dwelling units authorised last November.
Statistics New Zealand said 56 new dwelling units were authorised, compared with 25 in October, 24 in September, and 28 in November 2009.
However, Dunedin City Council chief building control officer Neil McLeod put the November 2010 figure for new dwellings at 23.
Confusion appears to have arisen from the fact the council had authorised 56 non-notified consents, covering anything from the removal of a significant tree, to building a deck.
All up, $33 million worth of new dwellings were issued in Otago in November.
Boosting that was the Southern District Health Board's consent for a 16-bed unit at Wakari Hospital, to replace Dunedin Hospital's 1A acute ward.
DHB finance and funding general manager Robert Mackway-Jones said the inpatient unit would cost between $3 million and $3.6 million (excluding GST).
Part of the $24.38 million redevelopment planned for Wakari and Dunedin hospitals, the major capital work was still awaiting final approval from Health Minister Tony Ryall before building could proceed, Mr Mackway-Jones said.
Paterson Pitts director Leon Hallet said building activity in Dunedin had picked up, but certainly not to pre-2008 levels, when the city had an extremely busy six to seven years.
He said Dunedin's "old money" supported building activity in the city, compared with the debt-fuelled developments in Central Otago.
The surveyors' Dunedin office was busier than its Wanaka, Cromwell, and Alexandra offices.
Dunedin home builder GL Stevenson Ltd had also noticed an increase in activity in Dunedin.
Owner Graham Stevenson said in the past two years Dunedin's builders had had mainly alteration and renovation work, and new dwellings were scarce.
Alterations remained the firm's main work, but he had noticed a slight increase in demand for new dwellings.
As he grew more confident about Dunedin's building market, he would consider adding to his present staff of 13.
NEW DWELLINGS
• Waitaki: 9
• Central Otago: 10
• Queenstown Lakes: 35
• Clutha: 2
• Southland: 13
