There has been a surge in the reported number of cranes in the sky across Australian cities, according to the Q3 2023 RLB Crane Index, Rider Levett Bucknall (RLB), hitting unprecedented heights across Australia.
Notably, cities such as Sydney, Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast are at the forefront of this construction boom.
Mr Domenic Schiafone, Rider Levett Bucknall’s Oceania Director of Research and Development said the Australian construction industry has experienced a huge six months, with crane numbers rapidly expanding across the country.
“We’ve seen 303 new cranes added to projects and 257 removed from buildings nearing completion. With 46 additional cranes dotting the skyline in the last six months, the number of cranes across the major regions has hit a record 882, equating to an increase of 5.5 per cent since our last publication,” he said.
The abundant presence of cranes aligns with the overall nationwide activity. The Australian Bureau of Statistics reported a 1.8 per cent increase, totaling $3.9 billion, in construction activity for the 2022 calendar year compared to 2021. This upward trend persisted into Q1 of 2023, with construction activity surging by 3.9 per cent or $2.1 billion year-on-year.
Out of a total of 882 cranes observed across Australia, 401 were located in Sydney, followed by 178 in Melbourne, 85 in Brisbane, 61 on the Gold Coast, 50 in Perth, 22 on the Sunshine Coast, 21 in Canberra, 17 in Adelaide, 15 on the Central Coast, 15 in Newcastle, 13 in Wollongong, three in Darwin, and a single crane in Hobart.
According to RLB, the residential index has reached an all-time high at 178, marking a two-point increase from the previous peak of 177 in Q3 2017.
This index corresponds to 554 cranes, a rise from the previous count of 530. In the realm of residential projects, 176 cranes were newly added, while 152 were removed from construction sites.
In the case of the non-residential index, there was a significant uptick from 266 to 285 index points, marking the second-highest level on record. The count of cranes on non-residential sites now stands at 328, representing an increase of 22 cranes compared to the 306 counted in Q1 2023. The non-residential sector’s share of cranes across the country remains steady at 37 per cent, mirroring the previous count.
During Q3 2023, eight cities reported higher crane numbers. Sydney experienced a notable 10 per cent increase, surpassing the 400-crane milestone for the first time. This achievement establishes Sydney as the first Australian city to reach this crane count milestone, now boasting 401 cranes—an increase of 36 cranes within Sydney’s construction landscape.
The non-residential sector in Sydney has witnessed a substantial surge in crane numbers, particularly when compared to the previous low of 41 cranes in Q1 2017. Presently, the region boasts a record-high of 140 cranes dedicated to non-residential projects, marking the highest count to date.
Prominent projects in Sydney with the highest crane numbers include: One Sydney Harbour (six cranes at Barangaroo), Westconnex (five cranes at Rockdale), Western Sydney Airport (four cranes at Badgerys Creek), Mason & Main Merrylands (four cranes), and Vicinti & Destination (four cranes at Macquarie Park).
Meanwhile, the Gold Coast’s RLB Crane Index continues its upward trajectory, climbing from 373 index points to a new pinnacle of 407 points. The region saw a net addition of five cranes, with 15 cranes added and 10 removed. This addition sets a new crane record for the Gold Coast at 61, predominantly dominated by residential cranes, constituting 90.2 per cent of all cranes in the region.
Similarly, the Sunshine Coast’s RLB Crane Index has reached an all-time high of 220 index points, reflecting a significant increase from the 160 index points noted a year ago. The region saw a total of 22 cranes, with the residential sector maintaining its dominance by accounting for 21 of the 22 recorded cranes.
In terms of crane growth, Sydney and South-East Queensland (SEQ) have seen the most substantial increases since Q1 2022, with crane numbers climbing by 34 per cent and 65 per cent, respectively.
In contrast, Melbourne experienced a decrease in crane numbers, falling by seven to reach a total of 178.