11/06/2026
🏗️ A BOOMING INDUSTRY. A FORGOTTEN SECTOR
➡️ It’s time for crane sector reform
Earlier this year, Managing Director Marcus Rigney, had the privilege of being a guest speaker at Master Builders SA's prestigious Top 100 event held at the Adelaide Convention Centre.
The luncheon, which served as an "Election Special", was attended by over 550 of the state’s leading construction and building professionals, and featured presentations from The Premier of South Australia, The Hon Peter Malinauskas MP, and The Leader of the Opposition, Ashton Hurn MP.
Rather than donning the podium, Marcus seized the opportunity to play a 5-minute video highlighting the current challenges and structural barriers faced by the crane sector.
The presentation, “A Booming Industry. A Forgotten Sector,” was the culmination of years of advocacy from crane industry leaders, and months of research, bringing together calculated estimates of the vast number of crane personnel and craneage skills required to meet the state’s ambitious infrastructure targets, projected to reach a staggering $25.6 billion by mid-2028. 📈
Despite South Australia’s construction industry being at a historic peak, driven by major projects in transport, health and urban spaces, growth remains fragile. The crane sector, in particular, is at a critical juncture. Current policy frameworks fail to recognise the technical complexity of modern crane operations, resulting in a workforce that is aging, under-subsidised, and increasingly difficult to replenish.
A lack of real-time workforce data, exclusion from federal skilled migration lists, neglect in policy and training plans, and a vocational education system that doesn’t subsidise the costly, advanced requirements of modern heavy lifting, are just some of the challenges that threaten to derail the government's bold targets. 🎯
Post-event, we delivered a formal submission and industry reform roadmap to Master Builders SA. Load 28 values this ongoing partnership and the platforms and opportunities they provide. We now urge our peak bodies and state policymakers to hear our concerns, collaborate on these solutions, and drive the future growth of South Australia.
So who is ready to lead the conversation?
🏛️ Joe Szakacs MP, Kyam Maher MLC & Nick Champion MP
🎓 Lucy Hood MP & South Australian Skills Commission
🏆 Master Builders SA
🤝 CITB South Australia & SafeWork SA
We call on our construction industry partners CICA - The Crane Industry Council of Australia, fellow operators Fleurieu Cranes and Crane Services, project delivery partners, and extended network to view our video in it’s entirety, and share with your connections.
True progress requires industry-wide collaboration. So let's as we continue to advocate for change. 🔃