RLB CRANE INDEX®
Canberra’s RLB Crane Index® rose to 440 points, around the average of the past decade. The city now has 22 active cranes, with 15 new cranes added and 5 removed.
Q1 2026
Highlights
The residential sector has 10 cranes in operation. The commercial sector added six new cranes, with one removed.
Total construction work done in the ACT in 2025 was $4.4 billion, a 5.9% increase on 2024. Engineering rose by 70.7%, residential activity fell by 6.7%, and non-residential activity fell by 12.3%.
New additions:
- Aged care: Amberfield Retirement Village, Weston Creek (three cranes)
- Commercial: National Security Office Precinct Stage 1, Barton (three cranes); Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Barton (two cranes); Vernon Constitution Place, Acton
- Data centres: CDC Hume 6
- Residential: Raya Gungahlin; The Borough, Denman Prospect; Central Park, Denman Prospect; Walter & Whitley, Griffith.
- Education: Primary School, Whitlam.
Removals were recorded at Canberra, Woden, Watson, Gungahlin, Dickson.
Q1 2026
Summary
| Region | Change | |
|---|---|---|
| CANBERRA | 10 | |
| Sector | Change | |
|---|---|---|
| AGED CARE | 3 | |
| CIVIC | N/A | |
| CIVIL | N/A | |
| COMMERCIAL | 5 | |
| DATA CENTRES | 1 | |
| EDUCATION | 1 | |
| HEALTH | N/A | |
| HOTEL | 0 | |
| MIXED USE | -1 | |
| RECREATION | N/A | |
| RESIDENTIAL | 1 | |
| RETAIL | N/A | |
Q1 2026
Crane Activity
By Region
OPENING / CLOSING COUNT COMPARISON
| OPENING COUNT | MOVEMENT | CLOSING COUNT | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q3 2025 | % | NET | Q1 2026 | % | |||
| CANBERRA | 12 | 1.4% | 15 | -5 | 10 | 22 | 2.6% |
By Sector
OPENING / CLOSING COUNT COMPARISON
| OPENING COUNT | MOVEMENT | CLOSING COUNT | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q3 2025 | % | NET | Q1 2026 | % | |||
| AGED CARE | 0 | 0.0% | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 13.6% |
| CIVIC | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% |
| CIVIL | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% |
| COMMERCIAL | 1 | 8.3% | 6 | -1 | 5 | 6 | 27.3% |
| DATA CENTRES | 0 | 0.0% | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4.5% |
| EDUCATION | 0 | 0.0% | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4.5% |
| HEALTH | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% |
| HOTEL | 1 | 8.3% | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4.5% |
| MIXED USE | 1 | 8.3% | 0 | -1 | -1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| RECREATION | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% |
| RESIDENTIAL | 9 | 75.0% | 4 | -3 | 1 | 10 | 45.5% |
| RETAIL | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% |
| TOTAL | 12 | 1.4% | 15 | -5 | 10 | 22 | 2.6% |
RLB CRANE INDEX®
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