Editorial: Thriving Hawke's Bay economy good for us all

Andrew Austin, editor of Hawke's Bay Today.

It seems like our builders in Hawke's Bay are under the pump at the moment with more work than they know what to do with.

While it must be tough being under such pressure, I suppose it is better than not having any work at all.

Yes, figures just released show that 543 new houses received council approval in the Bay last year. This is just another sign of the strength of our economy at the moment and it has a double boost because not only is it providing more stock in a market desperate for it, but it is also keeping our builders here, instead of them being forced to look elsewhere for work.

A story on our business pages yesterday showed that last year there was a total of $211.6 million-worth of new dwellings consented across Napier, Hastings and Central Hawke's Bay.

A1 Homes owner Rob Fargher was quoted as saying:"We're rushed off our feet. More contacts, more people and good confidence."

Hastings District Council said the number of new-home building consents for the calendar year to December 31, 2017 was 261, with a provisional value for those consents placed at $117.1m.

Napier City Council last year issued 233 building consents for new dwellings (including apartments), with a total value of $79.56m.

Central Hawke's Bay District Council meanwhile, consented 49 new dwellings. This was worth a combined $15m.

It seems that the demand for land in Napier and Hastings is having a flow-on effect for Central Hawke's Bay with many people deciding the commute is not that bad and the CHB landscape is quite beautiful.

While a thriving property market does make it difficult for first-time home buyers to get in the market, the benefits to our region of having a bullish economy cannot be underestimated.