New Zealand’s crane count turns higher, with the South Island leading the way

The Q3 2026 RLB Crane Index® shows crane numbers rising nationally. The lift is modest and uneven: Queenstown and Christchurch are driving the gains, while Tauranga and Hamilton have fallen back.

After a prolonged downturn, New Zealand’s construction market is showing early signs of steadying. The 26th edition of the RLB Crane Index® recorded 106 long-term cranes across the country’s seven major centres in Q3 2026, up from 102 six months earlier. The national index rose from 129 to 134 points. The national count has edged higher, but activity remains at relatively low levels, and the gains are concentrated in a handful of centres and sectors.

“The latest results point to tentative stabilisation rather than a broad-based recovery,” said Bradley Coley, Director at Rider Levett Bucknall. “Auckland continues to account for the majority of long-term cranes, while Queenstown and Christchurch are showing the strongest increases.”

The national picture

Both sides of the index moved higher. The residential index rose from 132 to 145 points, and the non-residential index edged up from 128 to 130. The broader economic data is softer: total building work put in place nationally fell 3.1% to $28.3 billion in the 2025–26 financial year.

Residential shows signs of life

Residential construction was one of the strongest areas of improvement. Residential cranes rose from 29 to 32 and now account for 30% of all long-term cranes, up from 28% in Q1 2026. The recovery has a long way to go, though. Residential crane numbers are still well under half the 77-crane peak recorded in Q3 2022.

Forward indicators are more encouraging. Dwelling consents rose across every region covered in the year to July 2026:

• Canterbury: up 32.6%
• Otago: up 21.2%
• Auckland: up 20.3%
• Bay of Plenty: up 18.7%
• Wellington: up 17.3%
• Waikato: up 14.9%

Non-residential: stable totals, shifting mix

Non-residential crane numbers barely moved, going from 73 to 74, but the mix underneath changed noticeably:

• Civic cranes doubled from seven to 14.
• Hotel cranes rose from four to seven.
• Civil cranes fell from 28 to 22 as several major projects moved through their construction cycles.

Civil construction remains the largest non-residential sector nationally. The growth in civic projects points to continued investment in public and community-focused development.

The South Island gains momentum

The clearest regional story is in the south. Taken together, the three South Island centres grew from 22 to 33 cranes over six months and now account for almost a third of the national total.

Queenstown recorded the joint-largest increase in the country, alongside Christchurch. Its crane count rose by five to 16, lifting its index from 367 to 533 points. Residential construction dominates the local market, with 12 of the 16 cranes, while hotel activity increased to three cranes.

Christchurch also added five cranes, reaching 13, and its index rose from 26 to 42 points. Civic projects drove the increase, with seven cranes working across the Grace Vineyard Church, the Canterbury Museum Redevelopment and the Christchurch City Council Wall Cladding project. Canterbury’s building work rose 4.4% to $5.3 billion in 2025–26.

Dunedin increased to four cranes, all of them on the New Dunedin Hospital – Inpatients project. Building work across the South Island outside Canterbury rose 4.5% to $3.8 billion.

The North Island diverges

Auckland remains the centre of New Zealand’s crane activity, with 58 long-term cranes. That’s unchanged from Q1 and more than half of the national total, and the city’s index held at 176 points. Activity is concentrated in infrastructure, particularly major transport projects, alongside selective residential development. Auckland’s residential crane count held at 17, while civic, education and data centre/industrial projects recorded modest increases. Building work in the city fell 1.7% to $12.5 billion in 2025–26, although rising dwelling consents indicate a potentially stronger pipeline ahead.

Wellington rose from four to six cranes, lifting its index from 44 to 67 points. Current activity is focused on commercial and public-sector projects, including the Wellington Ferry Terminal, Parliament Buildings, and the Museum and Biodiversity Centre. Even so, Wellington’s total building work fell 9.4% to $2.4 billion in 2025–26.

Tauranga had the largest decline in the country, falling from 14 to seven cranes, which halved its index from 700 to 350 points. Much of the fall came from cranes being removed from major civil projects, including the Tauranga Northern Link.

Hamilton dropped from four cranes to two, and its index fell from 200 to 100 points. Current activity is split between education and data centre/industrial projects, and building work across Waikato fell 3.5% in 2025–26.

What it means: stabilising, but unevenly

The Q3 2026 index describes a market moving from contraction towards stabilisation, not one that has turned the corner. The national increase is real but small. It has been driven by residential, civic and hotel work in a few centres, while civil activity winds down elsewhere.

“Across New Zealand, the latest crane results suggest that construction activity is beginning to stabilise after a prolonged downturn, but the pattern remains highly uneven,” Bradley said. “Stronger dwelling consents and the substantial infrastructure pipeline may support future activity, although funding and delivery certainty remain uneven.”

“We believe the recovery is likely to remain uneven across regions and sectors, with the South Island outlook more promising, while changes in interest rates remain an important factor for construction activity.”

For developers, contractors and investors, conditions depend heavily on location. For example, Christchurch’s index rose by more than half over the same six months that Tauranga’s halved.

The RLB Crane Index® is published biannually and tracks the number of cranes on construction sites across New Zealand’s major cities.

Explore our in-depth analysis and an interactive breakdown of the cranes and projects here.