NZ building consents climb 11% in February, led by Auckland

NZ building consents climb 11% in February, led by Auckland
Paul McBeth
By Paul McBeth March 30 (BusinessDesk) - New Zealand residential building consents climbed 11 percent in February, led by increased construction intentions in Auckland as the country's biggest city tries to house a swelling population.  Seasonally adjusted consents across all dwellings rose to 2,509 in February from 2,264 a month earlier, while permits for new houses rose 4.1 percent to 1,720, according to Statistics New Zealand. On an unadjusted basis, new housing consents were up 27 percent to 1,712 in February from the same month a...