Rider Levett Bucknall Crane Index shows eight more cranes added in past six months on Gold Coast

A survey released today has revealed a massive upturn in work on tower projects on the Gold Coast. And one suburb in particular is responsible for much of the boom.

THE number of cranes dotting the Gold Coast skyline has surged this year, increasing by 33 per cent, despite a fall in the value of the construction projects underway.

According to the latest Rider Levett Bucknall Crane Index, there are 32 cranes on the Gold Coast — eight more working on construction projects compared to six months ago.

The residential sector accounts for 94 per cent of the cranes with 17 erected for the first three months of the year, bringing the total count to 30.

The highest number are located in the Palm Beach area, which is seeing an explosion in new towers.

Two cranes have been removed at the Jewel project. Picture Glenn Hampson

The director of RLB’s Gold Coast office, Jim Krebs, said 18 new cranes were erected in the first quarter of this year while 10 were removed.

“Despite an increase in the number of residential projects under construction, the overall value of construction work underway on the Gold Coast is down, reflecting the higher volume of smaller value projects starting,” he said.

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New cranes include: Bluewater in Bilinga; Vue Apartments and Elysian in Broadbeach; Zinc in Coolangatta; 372 Marine Parade in Labrador; Ocean in Mermaid; 17 Jefferson Lane; Canopy; Pacific; Magnoli; Periscope; Sea Palm Beach, 80-106 Jefferson Lane; ACQUA and Aleia in Palm Beach; 23 Railway Street in Southport and Evelve in Tweed Heads.

A new crane has been added at the Elysian apartment tower project in Broadbeach.

TENDER COSTS TO HEAD LOWER

Cranes were removed from Qube in Broadbeach, John Francis Drive in Carrara, Iconic in

Kirra, Waterpoint Stage 4 in Labrador, Neo in Mermaid, Miami Apartments in Miami, ONE in Palm Beach and Ruby Stage 1 in Surfers Paradise.

Two were also removed from the three-tower Jewel project in Surfers Paradise, bringing the number working on that project down to two.

A crane was removed from Qube in Broadbeach after construction was completed.

Just one health-related crane made the count at the Gold Coast North Medical hub in Helensvale while the mixed-use sector also had one at the Japara Care Home in Robina.

The Gold Coast had the fifth highest number of cranes in Australia coming after Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth.

Cranes have been in the news for all the wrong reasons recently.

This month a seven tonne metal bin fell 20m from a crane at a Surfers Paradise construction site. It followed a similar incident in Mermaid Beach where a woman had a lucky escape after a hook fell from a crane to the ground 2m in front of her.