Australia Plant Machinery Capex Rises the Most Since 1996

2026-05-28 01:42 By Joshua Ferrer 1 min. read

Private new capital expenditure on equipment, plant, and machinery in Australia climbed by 18.1% qoq in the first quarter of 2026, rebounding sharply from a downwardly revised 1.3% fall in the previous quarter.

This also marked the strongest growth since March 1996, largely driven by non-mining business investments, which recorded an 8.8% increase (vs 1.3% in Q4 2025), while mining-related equipment spending (0% vs -0.9%) was relatively unchanged.

Information media and telecommunications recorded the largest industry rise, up 96.1%, reaching a new record level.

“The lift in investment was the result of investment in data centre equipment, specifically server racks and processing equipment, significantly boosting overall investment figures”, said Tom Lay, Head of Business Statistics at the ABS.

On an annual basis, investment in equipment, plant, and machinery surged by 31%, the sharpest since December 1994 and accelerating from an upwardly revised 9.8% rise in the prior period.



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Australia Plant Machinery Capex Rises the Most Since 1996
Private new capital expenditure on equipment, plant, and machinery in Australia climbed by 18.1% qoq in the first quarter of 2026, rebounding sharply from a downwardly revised 1.3% fall in the previous quarter. This also marked the strongest growth since March 1996, largely driven by non-mining business investments, which recorded an 8.8% increase (vs 1.3% in Q4 2025), while mining-related equipment spending (0% vs -0.9%) was relatively unchanged. Information media and telecommunications recorded the largest industry rise, up 96.1%, reaching a new record level. “The lift in investment was the result of investment in data centre equipment, specifically server racks and processing equipment, significantly boosting overall investment figures”, said Tom Lay, Head of Business Statistics at the ABS. On an annual basis, investment in equipment, plant, and machinery surged by 31%, the sharpest since December 1994 and accelerating from an upwardly revised 9.8% rise in the prior period.
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