The Gold Coast’s construction sector has achieved a historic milestone, defying broader national cooling trends to record an all-time high in crane activity.
According to the latest Rider Levett Bucknall (RLB) Crane Index heading into 2026, the Gold Coast skyline now hosts 75 cranes, representing a notable increase of eight cranes since Q3 2025.
This surge marks a significant structural shift in Queensland's development landscape because, for the first time in the index's history, the Gold Coast has recorded more crane activity than Brisbane. Brisbane's total fell by nine to 64 cranes as several major civic and commercial projects concluded.
While the national construction narrative has begun shifting heavily toward civil infrastructure, mixed-use developments, and data centres, the Gold Coast remains a distinct outlier fiercely driven by the housing sector.
Residential projects account for a staggering 93 per cent of all crane activity on the Coast, standing in stark contrast to markets like Melbourne and Sydney where residential tallies have steadily eased.
The Gold Coast's record-breaking performance is particularly impressive given the severe economic headwinds currently facing the broader Australian property market.
Nationally, developers are battling elevated build costs, global supply chain disruptions, and rising interest rates that have significantly increased the cost of construction finance.
Furthermore, severe labour shortages and productivity constraints continue to extend project timelines and compress developer margins across all major markets.
While these mounting pressures have eroded project viability and forced commercial and residential slowdowns elsewhere in the country, the Gold Coast's momentum has held firm.
Looking ahead, while private residential development may face tighter feasibility constraints, the region's broader construction pipeline is expected to remain well-supported by the multi-year runway of civil and infrastructure work leading up to the 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games.
