RLB CRANE INDEX®

Major projects:

• Princes Highway, Arncliffe (four cranes)
• Viciniti and Destination, Macquarie Park (four cranes)
• Western Sydney Airport, Badgerys Creek (six cranes)

Residential activity remains predominant, but this edition indicates a slowdown. Sixty cranes were removed from residential projects, while 49 were added, resulting in a net decrease of 11. The total number of cranes in residential projects now stands at 210, representing 56.8% of Sydney’s overall crane count — notably lower than the peak of 289 recorded in Q3 2017.

Across Sydney’s five central regions, only the North and the CBD and surrounds saw growth during this period. The CBD and surrounds increased by nine cranes to 78, accounting for 21.1% of the total cranes in the city. The North reached a record 118 cranes (31.9%), surpassing its previous high of 113 in Q3 2018.

Conversely, the West experienced the largest decline, decreasing by 14 cranes to 95 (25.7%). The South fell by five to 38 cranes (10.3%), while the East recorded the sharpest proportional decrease, dropping by six to 41 cranes (11.1%).

With 118 cranes, the North now has 40 more than inner Sydney (CBD and surrounds, 78 cranes). This underscores the ongoing shift of activity from the inner suburbs to the mid and outer suburbs — a trend first observed in Q1 2023.