New Zealand’s national crane count has grown, with Auckland accounting for 66% of all cranes counted across the country’s main centres.
Rider Levett Bucknall noted in its Q1 2018 RLB Crane Index that New Zealand’s crane count had increased to 125 and construction growth – 13% over 12 months to September 2017 totalling just under NZ$17 billion (AU$16 billion) – is forecast to continue.
Auckland topped the leader board with 83 cranes. 33 new cranes have been erected in the Auckland area and 23 removed from projects that are nearing completion.
Auckland’s crane count increase was driven by net increases in the hotel and civil sectors of four cranes each, the commercial and civic sectors of two cranes and the mixed-use sector of one crane.
Tauranga also had a net increase in cranes of three. Christchurch and Wellington saw net decreases in cranes of four, bringing their total counts to 13 and nine respectively, while Hamilton and Queenstown also experienced net crane decreases of one and two respectively.
According to the RLB Crane Index, Auckland remained the main driver of the crane count, increasing by 10 cranes since the last index. The residential sector continued to contribute the largest amount of the crane count, with 48 (57%), but recorded a slight net decrease of two cranes for the period.
Auckland’s residential sector cranes on apartments accounted for 89% of all the residential project cranes across New Zealand and 38% of all cranes nationally.