The number of building consents for new homes has risen for the first time in three months.
More than 30,000 consents for new dwellings were granted in the year to January. Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly
Statistics New Zealand said consents for new dwellings rose a seasonally adjusted 0.8 percent in January compared to the month before.
The rise followed hefty falls in the previous two months.
A decline in consents for new houses was offset by gains for apartments and townhouses.
More than 30,000 consents for new dwellings were granted in the year to January, the highest in 12 years.
The department said the numbers suggested growth in house building was slowing across the country.