Crane numbers peak as construction wanes

Sydney retained the No.1 spot due to ongoing projects at Barangaroo and parts of the City. There has also been a surge in the west with new towers at Parramatta.

Schiafone said approval levels in 2022 across NSW dropped 6 per cent compared to 2021. In the non-residential sector, approval values were down by 8.2 per cent or $1.5 billion, mainly due to falling values in commercial, entertainment and hotel sectors.

The report showed that even the popular industrial sector was waning with a net decrease of seven cranes, with eight taken down and one new crane erected. Cranes were removed from 3 Apollo Place in Lane Cove West, the Macquarie Exchange at Macquarie Park, 21 Bayswater Drive at Wentworth Point, all of which hosted two cranes each, and the Moorebank Intermodal Terminal.

Across the city, the largest developments based on crane numbers are the Sydney Fish Markets, Glebe; Lendlease’s One Sydney Harbour, Barangaroo; the Westconnex at Rockdale and the Western Sydney Airport, Badgerys Creek.

Melbourne was hard hit, with the non-residential index falling from its record high of 290 to 264 cranes in the quarter.

“When analysing the numbers of cranes centred around the key capital cities post COVID-19, cranes within the CBD of Melbourne (Hoddle grid, Docklands and Southbank) have fallen significantly,” he said.

According to RLB, as all major cities across the globe grapple with the realities of changing lifestyle and hybrid employment choices, development within the centre of Melbourne has fallen to decade lows.

Schiafone added that the continuous reduction in crane numbers within Melbourne’s CBD district may be contributing to the decrease in public transport patronage within Melbourne.

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In the latest figures released by the Victorian Department of Transportation and Planning for September 2022, patronage of public transport within inner Melbourne, including the city loop, has fallen to 37 per cent of pre-pandemic levels.

While Brisbane has recorded a net loss in crane numbers, the Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast have performed stronger, bringing the total number of cranes across south-east Queensland to a new high of 153 cranes.

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