NZ building consents fall for a second month in January, housing permits drop

NZ building consents fall for a second month in January, housing permits drop
By Paul McBeth Feb. 27 (BusinessDesk) - New Zealand residential building consents declined for a second month in January, with new housing permits falling at their sharpest pace since August. Seasonally adjusted dwelling consents, including apartments and retirement units, fell 3.8 percent to 2,108 in January from a month earlier, adding to the 2.3 percent decline in December, according to Statistics New Zealand. Stripping out apartments, housing consents fell 7.5 percent to 1,719, the first decline in four months. On an unadjusted basis,...