RLB CRANE INDEX®
Hamilton’s RLB Crane Index® fell from 200 to 100 points. The city now has two long-term cranes, with one added and three removed.
Q3 2026
Highlights
The Hamilton region currently hosts two cranes, with activity split evenly between the education and data centre / industrial sectors.
The total value of building work put in place in the Waikato region in the 2025-26 financial year fell 3.5% compared with the previous year (to $2.6b). The number of new Waikato dwelling consents rose 14.9% in the year ended July 2026 (to 3,226 dwellings).
Current activity by sector:
- Education: New Zealand Graduate School of Medicine
- Data Centres / Industrial: Ruakura Spec Build Development
Cranes were removed from:
- Health: Waikato Mental Health; Anglesea Medical Precinct Renovation
- Mixed Use / Other: 1 Cook Street
Q3 2026
Summary
| Region | Change | |
|---|---|---|
| HAMILTON | -2 | |
| Sector | Change | |
|---|---|---|
| AGED CARE | N/A | |
| CIVIC | N/A | |
| CIVIL | N/A | |
| COMMERCIAL | N/A | |
| DATA CENTRES | 1 | |
| EDUCATION | 0 | |
| HEALTH | -2 | |
| HOTEL | N/A | |
| MIXED USE | -1 | |
| RECREATION | N/A | |
| RESIDENTIAL | N/A | |
| RETAIL | N/A | |
Q3 2026
Crane Activity
By Region
OPENING / CLOSING COUNT COMPARISON
| OPENING COUNT | MOVEMENT | CLOSING COUNT | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 2026 | % of NZ | NET | Q3 2026 | % of NZ | |||
| HAMILTON | 4 | 3.9% | 1 | -3 | -2 | 2 | 1.9% |
By Sector
OPENING / CLOSING COUNT COMPARISON
| OPENING COUNT | MOVEMENT | CLOSING COUNT | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 2026 | % | NET | Q3 2026 | % | |||
| AGED CARE | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% |
| CIVIC | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% |
| CIVIL | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% |
| COMMERCIAL | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% |
| DATA CENTRES | 0 | 0.0% | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 50.0% |
| EDUCATION | 1 | 25.0% | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 50.0% |
| HEALTH | 2 | 50.0% | 0 | -2 | -2 | 0 | 0.0% |
| HOTEL | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% |
| MIXED USE | 1 | 25.0% | 0 | -1 | -1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| RECREATION | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% |
| RESIDENTIAL | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% |
| RETAIL | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% |
| TOTAL | 4 | 100.0% | 1 | -3 | -2 | 2 | 100.0% |
RLB CRANE INDEX®
PREVIOUS EDITIONS
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