Record number of cranes at work in Auckland

Fletcher Construction operates a building site at Auckland's Eden Park Stadium in 2009. Photo / Getty Images

• 98 cranes throughout New Zealand.
• 47 cranes now working in Auckland alone.
• 33 new cranes erected, 19 dismantled - net increase of 14 cranes since 2015.
• Commercial sector accounts for 42 per cent of all cranes nationally.

A record 47 tower cranes are bristling across Auckland's skyline, evidence of the city's booming construction market - and Australians are cashing in on our good times.

A study by consultants Rider Levett Bucknall showed that in the last six months alone, 33 new tower cranes had been erected in the city.

That highlights the strength of the Auckland construction industry which shows no signs of abating, according to the RLB Crane Index report.

"A record 47 cranes currently tower across Auckland's skyline since the RLB Crane Iindex commenced in Q2 2014. During the past six months, 33 new tower cranes have been erected whilst 19 have been dismantled as site work on construction projects came to an end. That's a net increase of 14 cranes since Q4 2015's 33 cranes," a statement from Rider Levett Bucknall said.

Chris Haines, RLB Auckland director, said all that work that spelt scarcities in the sector.

"The construction industry in Auckland is now stretching the supply chain across the North Island. There remains resource and supply concerns," he said, referring to SkyCity's Convention Centre build, the City Rail Link underground tunnels from Britomart to Mt Eden and Precinct Properties' Commercial Bay development on the Downtown waterfront site about to begin.

"As a way to cope with this high level of contractor demand, we are seeing an increasingly active Australian contingent of main contractors and subcontractors working in the Auckland market, in turn putting pressure on the Aussie supply chain," Haines said.

Throughout New Zealand, 98 tower cranes are up and working on busy sites. Large-scale residential construction has resulted in 12 cranes going up on housing sites throughout the country, Haines said.

But the commercial sector accounts for 42 per cent of all cranes up nationally.

The index report showed how strong economic growth had prompted strong building activity levels and referred to population growth, demand for more offices, public sector spending on education buildings, tourism growth and domestic demand for accommodation.

See the latest RLB Crane Index report here: