RLB CRANE INDEX®
When comparing current and historical crane numbers for Melbourne, Sydney, and nationally, it is evident that Melbourne’s crane activity is falling. Melbourne’s count of 178 cranes is marginally above the average of 174 cranes since Q1 2015. Current crane numbers in Sydney and nationally are well above their respective averages of 310 and 708.
RESIDENTIAL CRANE INDEX
The residential index (which accounts for the number of cranes on residential projects across the country) rose to a record high of 178 points. This also represents the highest index value since the inception of RLB’s Crane Index. 554 cranes are currently on residential projects across the country.
NON-RESIDENTIAL CRANE INDEX
The non-residential index rose to 285 points, five points lower than the record high of 290 achieved in Q3 2022. This index remains at an historically high level, indicating the overall strong activity of non-residential projects across the country.
Q3 2023
Highlights
- Counting cranes on a city skyline is a simple way to understand the health of the construction industry – and Rider Levett Bucknall launched the RLB Crane Index in 2012
- The 882 cranes nationally represent a record high for the 23 editions of the index
- The residential crane index continues to rise to a record value of 178, representing 554 cranes or 63% across Australia
- The Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and Sydney all recorded record numbers of cranes
- Sydney crane numbers have broken the 400 marks for the first time, with 401 cranes currently across the region.
- 50% of all cranes in Australia are located in New South Wales (NSW)
- Melbourne cranes account for 20.2% of all cranes in Australia, followed by South-East Queensland with 19.0% of all cranes
- The gap between Sydney and Melbourne crane numbers has widened significantly over the past six editions
- There are no non-residential sectors with more than 8.7% of cranes nationally, with the mixed use sector cranes accounting for 77 cranes, up from 70 previously
The RLB Crane Index® has reached a record high of 207 points, a rise of 11 points or 5.5%. Crane numbers across the country expanded rapidly in the six months since our last publication in Q1 2023.
The past six months have seen 303 new cranes added to new projects and 257 cranes 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.
The large number of cranes observed correlates with national activity. Total construction activity across Australia for the 2022 calendar year was up by 1.8%, or $3.9B, compared to 2021, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Construction activity in Q1 2023 continued this trend, rising 3.9% or $2.1B year-on-year.
The residential index reached a record high of 178, up two index points from the previous high of 177 in Q3 2017. The index represents 554 cranes, up from 530 in the last count. 176 cranes were added to residential projects, with 152 removed from sites.
The non-residential index rose from 266 to 285 index points, the second-highest level recorded. Cranes on non-residential sites now number 328. This is 22 more cranes than the 306 counted in Q1 2023 2023. The non-residential proportion of cranes across the country is 37%, the same proportion as the last count.
Q3 2023
Summary
| City | Change | |
|---|---|---|
| ADELAIDE | -1 | |
| BRISBANE | 8 | |
| CANBERRA | 4 | |
| CENTRAL COAST | 2 | |
| DARWIN | -1 | |
| GOLD COAST | 5 | |
| HOBART | 0 | |
| MELBOURNE | -11 | |
| NEWCASTLE | 6 | |
| PERTH | -1 | |
| SUNSHINE COAST | 2 | |
| SYDNEY | 36 | |
| WOLLONGONG | -3 | |
| Sector | Change | |
|---|---|---|
| AGED CARE | 0 | |
| CIVIC | 6 | |
| CIVIL | 11 | |
| COMMERCIAL | -1 | |
| DATA CENTRES | -2 | |
| EDUCATION | 0 | |
| HEALTH | 1 | |
| HOTEL | -2 | |
| MIXED USE | 7 | |
| RECREATION | -1 | |
| RESIDENTIAL | 24 | |
| RETAIL | 3 | |
Eight cities recorded higher crane numbers for Q3 2023. The number of cranes in Sydney increased by 10% to break 400 cranes for the first time, making Sydney the first Australian city to record this achievement. Cranes within Sydney now number 401 – a rise of 36 cranes.
The number of cranes in Sydney and South-East Queensland (SEQ) has grown more significantly since Q1 2022 than all other cities. Sydney and SEQ crane numbers rose 34% and 65%, respectively. In comparison, Melbourne crane numbers fell by 7 to now total 178.
Since the start of the pandemic (Q1 2020), total cranes within Australia have increased by 22% or 160 cranes. This has been largely driven by increases in Sydney (102) and SEQ (Brisbane 27, Gold Coast 28, and the Sunshine Coast 11).
Q3 2023
Crane Activity
By City
OPENING / CLOSING COUNT COMPARISON
| OPENING COUNT | MOVEMENT | CLOSING COUNT | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 2023 | % | NET | Q3 2023 | % | |||
| ADELAIDE | 18 | 2.2% | 5 | -6 | -1 | 17 | 1.9% |
| BRISBANE | 77 | 9.2% | 36 | -28 | 8 | 85 | 9.6% |
| CANBERRA | 17 | 2.0% | 11 | -7 | 4 | 21 | 2.4% |
| CENTRAL COAST | 13 | 1.6% | 4 | -2 | 2 | 15 | 1.7% |
| DARWIN | 4 | 0.5% | 0 | -1 | -1 | 3 | 0.3% |
| GOLD COAST | 56 | 6.7% | 15 | -10 | 5 | 61 | 6.9% |
| HOBART | 1 | 0.1% | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.1% |
| MELBOURNE | 189 | 22.6% | 77 | -88 | -11 | 178 | 20.2% |
| NEWCASTLE | 9 | 1.1% | 8 | -2 | 6 | 15 | 1.7% |
| PERTH | 51 | 6.1% | 15 | -16 | -1 | 50 | 5.7% |
| SUNSHINE COAST | 20 | 2.4% | 8 | -6 | 2 | 22 | 2.5% |
| SYDNEY | 365 | 43.7% | 123 | -87 | 36 | 401 | 45.5% |
| WOLLONGONG | 16 | 1.9% | 1 | -4 | -3 | 13 | 1.5% |
| TOTAL | 836 | 100.0% | 303 | -257 | 46 | 882 | 100.0% |
By Sector
OPENING / CLOSING COUNT COMPARISON
| OPENING COUNT | MOVEMENT | CLOSING COUNT | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 2023 | % | NET | Q3 2023 | % | |||
| AGED CARE | 13 | 1.6% | 4 | -4 | 0 | 13 | 1.5% |
| CIVIC | 21 | 2.5% | 9 | -3 | 6 | 27 | 3.1% |
| CIVIL | 45 | 5.4% | 23 | -12 | 11 | 56 | 6.3% |
| COMMERCIAL | 65 | 7.8% | 22 | -23 | -1 | 64 | 7.3% |
| DATA CENTRES | 15 | 1.8% | 5 | -7 | -2 | 13 | 1.5% |
| EDUCATION | 28 | 3.3% | 18 | -18 | 0 | 28 | 3.2% |
| HEALTH | 30 | 3.6% | 13 | -12 | 1 | 31 | 3.5% |
| HOTEL | 11 | 1.3% | 0 | -2 | -2 | 9 | 1.0% |
| MIXED USE | 70 | 8.4% | 29 | -22 | 7 | 77 | 8.7% |
| RECREATION | 4 | 0.5% | 0 | -1 | -1 | 3 | 0.3% |
| RESIDENTIAL | 530 | 63.4% | 176 | -152 | 24 | 554 | 62.8% |
| RETAIL | 4 | 0.5% | 4 | -1 | 3 | 7 | 0.8% |
| TOTAL | 836 | 100.0% | 303 | -257 | 46 | 882 | 100.0% |
RLB CRANE INDEX®
PREVIOUS EDITIONS
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Crane Index
Australia Q1 2024 Crane Index
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A record 813 cranes across the country
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