Stats give grounds for optimism

Landscapers could find business improving over the next 12 months, with data released by Stats NZ and the Reserve Bank of New Zealand indicating that residential construction may pick up

According to recent data from the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, total monthly new mortgage lending for April 2025 was $7.6bn – a rise

of 28% when compared to April 2024 and up from a low of $4.1bn in January 2023. Furthermore, the number of new mortgage commitments has increased by 22.7% from 15,719 in April 2024 to 19,289 in April 2025.

This recovery in mortgage commitments signals growing optimism among buyers, homeowners and investors, with the potential to spark increased residential construction and renovations. For the landscaping sector, which relies heavily on housing activity, the trend bodes well.

South Island success

The positive shift in mortgage lending aligns with housing consent data from Stats NZ. March

2025 saw a seasonally adjusted 9.6% rise in new dwellings consented, following a modest 0.7% lift in February – and across New Zealand, stand-alone houses continued to make a comeback with an increased share of total new-home consents.

The South Island also continued to perform strongly, with Otago recording its highest ever figure of 2,556 new homes consented in the 12 months to March 2025 – which follows on from it consenting 2,442 new homes in the year ended February 2025.

The increase in new home consents, particularly in Otago, could present landscapers with opportunities to grow their business, according to IBIS World analyst Anthony Kelly in a recent Landscaping Services in New Zealand report. “The landscaping services industry is responsive to new building and infrastructure construction trends, household spending on home improvements, and ongoing maintenance of existing gardens and parklands. Industry revenue is expected to surge at an annualised 5.8% over the five years,” wrote Kelly.