Wollongong’s growing crane count signals major CBD and health projects reshaping the city skyline

A busier skyline across Wollongong and Shellharbour

Cranes have become a defining feature of the Wollongong skyline, reflecting a sustained pipeline of mid- and high-rise construction across the city centre and nearby growth areas. A regional crane count released in late 2025 recorded 20 tower cranes operating across Wollongong and Shellharbour, the strongest result for the area since it was first included in the same reporting series in 2019. The count was up from 15 earlier in 2025, indicating that new projects are commencing as others progress beyond the structural phase.

What is being built: residential remains dominant, but not alone

The mix of active sites points to a construction cycle led by residential apartment delivery, with additional activity in mixed-use and retail. Health infrastructure is also contributing to the region’s crane presence, with the New Shellharbour Hospital project reaching a milestone in March 2025 when a tower crane was installed to support construction of the seven-storey facility. Project updates at the time indicated a second crane was scheduled to be installed in subsequent months, with both expected to remain on site into the following year.

• Residential: multiple active apartment projects are contributing to the crane tally across the Wollongong area.
• Mixed-use: new cranes have been recorded on central sites including Flinders Street.
• Retail and services: selected retail-related construction has added to the count.
• Health: the new Shellharbour Hospital build is a major non-residential contributor.

CBD redevelopment: The Globe precinct moves from planning to construction

One of the most prominent city-centre projects is The Globe precinct, spanning the City Diggers site and the former David Jones location. The approved redevelopment includes a new club and motel, an office building, and a five-star hotel component. Project information released in 2025 described the development as a staged build and identified the hotel as a key part of the precinct’s planned mix, alongside new commercial floor space and the rebuilt club facilities.

In practice, the current concentration of cranes functions as a near-real-time indicator of where large-scale capital works are underway, particularly in residential supply and major precinct redevelopments.

Planning pressures and community trade-offs

The spread of tower cranes also highlights the competing priorities shaping Wollongong’s growth: housing supply, employment space, visitor accommodation and community infrastructure. Recent planning activity has included proposals to increase the scale of apartment projects in the CBD, including revisions to lift building height and expand unit numbers while incorporating a defined affordable housing component for a set period of management.

What happens next

In the short term, the regional crane count suggests construction momentum is broad-based rather than reliant on a single megaproject. Over the medium term, continued crane activity will depend on how quickly projects transition from approvals into funded construction phases, as well as the sequencing of major redevelopments as they move from excavation and structure to fit-out and completion.