There's no surprise from the Christchurch Mayor that construction is booming in Canterbury. 

The region's councils consented about 6,500 homes in the year to November – a fifth of the country's new builds. 

The number of consents in Christchurch was also triple Wellington's. 

Phil Mauger told Ryan Bridge there's been a billion-dollars worth of new homes built in Christchurch – half being units, townhouses, or apartments. 

He says they're aiming for 20-thousand more people in the central city. 

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