Home approvals are up in country and city

RESIDENTIAL approvals have risen both in country and metropolitan areas in WA.

In the Perth metropolitan area, the WA Ministry for Planning reports final approval was given to 404 residential lots in January. This represented an increase of 45 per cent on January 1998 but down 41 per cent on December 1998.

Preliminary approval was given to 861 lots, a 42 per cent decrease on December 1998. Wanneroo had the highest number of approvals with 185 final approvals and 579 preliminary approvals.

Throughout the country region final approval was given to 76 lots in January. In Busselton, 26 lots were approved, with 16 lots approved in the Shire of Augusta-Margaret River.

Preliminary approval was given to 274 lots, which was 72 per cent lower than December 1998.

In Mandurah 142 lots were approved, which was the highest in the region.