Melbourne Stays Strong as National Crane Count Dips

Building activity is visibly on the rise in Melbourne, the Sunshine Coast and Wollongong as the number of cranes on their skylines reached record levels.

But the number of cranes at work in all other centres declined, according to the RLB Crane Index for the first quarter of 2025, released this week. 

Rider Levett Bucknall Oceania research director Ewen McDonald said two projects in Melbourne were the biggest contributors to the city’s crane count.

“The highest concentration of tower cranes [nationally] on a single non-infrastructure site was at the Amazon Fulfillment Centre in Melbourne, where eight cranes are in operation,” McDonald said.

“Additionally, Melbourne’s $36-billion North East Link project boasts the largest crane deployment in the country, with 39 long-term crawler cranes in operation.”

Data for the last quarter revealed significant growth in the data centre and mixed-use sectors, while the education, commercial and civil sectors declined, indicating a slowdown in these sectors. 

Residential construction had more moderate changes with 174 new cranes starting on projects and 179 removed in the six months.

Location of cranes in Australia

▲ Source: RLB Crane Index 2025

Overall there was a dip in the RLB Crane Index to 840 cranes across the nation, down from the record high of 882 of 18 months ago. 

Sydney had the largest reduction in crane numbers, down by 14, but still led the crane count at 373, followed by 199 in Melbourne.

During the past six months, 290 new cranes were added to construction projects, while 313 cranes were removed as buildings neared completion.

“The increase in crane activity aligns with broader construction growth across Australia,” McDonald said.

“According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, total construction activity in 2024 rose by 2.7 per cent, or $7.6 billion, compared to 2023.”