In early 2025, a 16-year-old climbed a tower crane at Auckland’s Seascape construction site — more than 220 metres above the ground, without a harness or safety equipment of any kind. The teenager filmed themselves dangling one-handed from the crane boom and navigating exposed beams, then posted the footage to social media. By their own account, they had done it 27 times without being detected.
Seascape, set to become Auckland’s tallest residential building, joins a growing list of high-profile construction sites that have attracted thrill-seekers with phones and social media accounts. The incident has renewed scrutiny of site security across urban New Zealand — and raised serious questions about what happens when the industry’s controls fail.
The Trend Is Not New
Urban exploration, sometimes called “urbex,” has existed for decades. What has changed is the incentive to film and share the most dangerous versions of it. Social media algorithms reward extreme content, and tower cranes in central city locations are both highly visible and — until someone falls — consequence-free in the eyes of those climbing them.
Construction sites are workplaces, not playgrounds. Trespassing on a construction site is a criminal offence under the Trespass Act 1980, and the hazards present — open excavations, unguarded edges, unsecured loads, and the cranes themselves — mean a fall or contact with plant could be fatal.
What Site Security Needs to Address
The Seascape incident prompted WorkSafe and the construction industry to review the adequacy of perimeter security at urban high-rise sites. Key areas of concern include:
- Crane cabin locking: Climbers typically access cranes through the mast. Secured ladders and locked access points at each level make climbing significantly harder.
- Perimeter fencing: Standard hoarding is often sufficient to deter casual access but not determined individuals. Sites in high-pedestrian areas should consider camera monitoring and after-hours alarm systems.
- Security patrols: For high-profile, central-city sites, after-hours security presence is increasingly being considered a cost of operating in a visible location.
Liability and Due Diligence
Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015, PCBUs (persons conducting a business or undertaking) have duties to manage risks at their workplaces — including risks to people who are not workers but who may be present at the site. While trespassers are not workers, courts have found that employers and principal contractors can face liability where foreseeable risks were not adequately controlled.
If a climber is injured on your site, the question is not only whether they were trespassing — it’s whether the site had taken reasonably practicable steps to prevent access. Documenting security measures and maintaining them is not just good practice; it’s a legal protection.