Number of cranes in city skylines dips

840 cranes were reported across the country during March 2025, according to the 26th edition of the RLB Crane Index.

Ewen McDonald, Rider Levett Bucknall’s Oceania Director of Research and Development, said, “Construction crane numbers remain strong across Australia, driven by capital cities such as Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane.”

“Over the last six editions of the RLB Crane Index, crane numbers have consistently remained above 800 nationally,” he added.

The RLB Crane Index experienced a slight dip of six points, reaching 197 points in Q1 2025, which corresponds to 840 cranes across the country. This is down from a record high of 882 cranes recorded in Q3 2023, 18 months ago.

Over the past six months, 290 new cranes have been added to construction projects, while 313 cranes have been removed as buildings near completion.

Sydney continues to lead the crane count in Australia. Of the 840 cranes nationwide, 373 are located in Sydney, followed by 199 in Melbourne, 65 in Brisbane, and 59 on the Gold Coast, 41 were in Perth, 22 were in Canberra, 19 in Adelaide, 18 were on the Sunshine Coast, 15 in Wollongong, 14 on the Central Coast, 13 in Newcastle and 2 in Darwin, and no cranes were sighted in Hobart for this edition.

Mr McDonald continued, “The increase in crane activity aligns with broader construction growth across Australia. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, total construction activity in 2024 rose by 2.7 per cent, or $7.6 billion, compared to 2023.”

“Residential construction saw a 2.7 per cent increase, while non-residential construction experienced a slight decline. The civil engineering sector, however, showed robust growth with a 5.8 per cent increase,” he said.

In terms of sector-specific data, the Residential Crane Index fell slightly from 159 to 157 points, reflecting a decrease from 492 to 487 cranes. Despite this, 174 cranes were added to residential projects, while 179 were removed. The Non-Residential Index also declined, dropping to 307 points and reflecting a decrease of 17 cranes, now representing 42 per cent of the national crane count, down from 43 per cent.

According to RLB, Sydney saw the largest reduction in crane numbers, with a drop of 14 cranes. In contrast, three cities—Melbourne, Sunshine Coast, and Wollongong—experienced increases, while five cities saw declines.

Sectoral trends from Q3 2024 to Q1 2025 reveal significant growth in the data centre and mixed-use sectors. Conversely, the education, commercial, and civil sectors have seen notable declines, indicating a slowdown in these areas. Residential construction, however, has experienced more moderate changes with 174 new cranes commencing on projects and 179 removed in the six months.

Most cities – including Melbourne and Brisban – saw moderate fluctuations or remained stable, while Sydney, Perth, and Canberra experienced declines. The gap between Sydney and Melbourne’s crane counts remains significant, with Sydney hosting 373 cranes compared to Melbourne’s 199.

Mr. McDonald concluded,” The highest concentration of tower cranes on a single non-infrastructure site was found at the Amazon Fulfillment Centre in Melbourne, where eight cranes are in operation. Additionally, Melbourne’s $36 billion North East Link project boasts the largest crane deployment in the country, with 39 long-term crawler cranes in operation,” he said.