Local developer Harridan is seeking to turn its Woolloongabba apartment project into the first stage of a broader transformation of Burke Street, using a new 16-storey mixed-use building to establish a greener pedestrian connection toward the rapidly evolving Boggo Road transport and knowledge precinct.

The South East Queensland developer has filed plans for 154 apartments on the <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/4-burke-street-woolloongabba-qld-4102">southern side of Burke Street</a>, where its proposal has been designed alongside a wider vision by LatStudios for the street.

That vision positions the southern side of Burke Street for buildings of 15 storeys and above, while envisaging lower-rise development of up to five storeys on the northern side to transition into Woolloongabba's existing character housing. It also proposes wider pedestrian verges, deep planting, new street trees and upgrades to the pedestrian approach to Boggo Road Station.

The Harridan development itself has been designed by Brisbane-based Arqus Design and will comprise 154 apartments across 16 storeys. The mix is weighted heavily toward two-bedroom apartments, with 121 proposed alongside 10 one-bedroom and 23 three-bedroom residences. There will typically be around 14 units per floor.

A lower-ground car park and three podium levels will accommodate 156 resident parking spaces, along with visitor and commercial parking. There will also be 154 resident bicycle spaces and 40 visitor bicycle parks.

&nbsp;

Harridan is a family-owned developer and part of the Holmwood Highgate Group, with more than three decades of development activity across South East Queensland. Its portfolio spans residential, commercial and industrial property, with current residential projects including Riverbank on Byron in Bulimba, Esperance Residences in Carina and The Precinct at Kinross Road in Thornlands.

Wooloongabba has been popular for apartment developers, particularly since the announcement of the 2032 Summer Olympics games in Brisbane.

While there have been a lot of development applications, it has failed to materialize into real supply.&nbsp;

Sarazin has been the major player in the area. They are under construction at Murcia Residences, on the fringe of East Brisbane and Woolloongabba. They have just launched <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-stanley-residences-woolloongabba-8-trafalgar-street-woolloongabba-qld-4102">The Stanley Residences</a>, in Woolloongabba on Trafalagar Street. They also have Nuage coming soon on the nearby <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/nuage-woolloongabba-14-wellington-road-woolloongabba-qld-4102">Wellington Road</a>.

Joel Robinson

First look: Harridan plans Burke Street transformation beside Boggo Road transport hub

IN BRIEF

<ul>
	<li>
	Just three double-storey Sky Homes sit at the top of The Waterline, each with its own private marina berth and rooftop terrace.
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	Construction on The Waterline is complete, with the first residents expected to move in from mid-October.
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	Sky Homes range from 282 sqm to 367 sqm and are priced from $3.65 million.
	</li>
</ul>

<hr />
Lewis Land has opened the first completed sky home for inspection at Harbour Shores, giving buyers their first opportunity to step inside one of just three double-storey residences crowning The Waterline.

Each sky home comes with its own private marina berth, rooftop terrace and Broadwater views, combining the scale of a larger home with direct access to the boating lifestyle that underpins the wider <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/harbour-shores-biggera-waters-564-oxley-drive-biggera-waters-qld-4216">Harbour Shores</a> masterplan.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=113271 project_image_fid=366708]

Lewis Land Head of Development Michael Long said the inclusion of a berth with every Sky Home had become increasingly valuable as marina access across the Gold Coast tightened.

“Marina berths are becoming increasingly difficult to secure across the Gold Coast, so including one with every Sky Home makes this a genuinely rare offering,” Long said.

“The private 70-berth marina will accommodate boats up to 12 metres in length and is positioned just 2.5 kilometres from the Broadwater, placing the open ocean only 15 minutes away.

“Being able to step out of your home onto your boat is a rare luxury, and it’s something residents here can look forward to when it opens later this year.”

[smartcode_project:default project_id=113271 project_image_fid=366709]

The display opening comes as construction completes on The Waterline, with the first residents expected to move in from mid-October.

The three Sky Homes range from 282 sqm to 367 sqm and each feature three bedrooms, three bathrooms, multiple living zones, expansive kitchens with butler's pantries and large balconies taking in the Broadwater outlook.

Each residence also has three secure basement car spaces and additional storage.

“This is the first opportunity the Gold Coast has had to step into Harbour Shores and see, touch and feel what we’re bringing to life here,” Long said.

“There are only three Sky Homes within The Waterline, ranging in size from 282sqm to 367sqm, with each residence featuring three large bedrooms, three bathrooms, multiple living zones, expansive custom-built kitchens with butler’s pantry, and large balconies capturing Broadwater views.”

<img alt="Harbour Shores" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="bab65e10-4fab-45e1-92d8-fc56e2ab98ff" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-25%20at%202.00.16%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=XT8q76LsPkw3cYTsvN3JfFDaPLud90PN" />

Residents of The Waterline will have access to a private pool, along with Harbour Shores' wider collection of amenity including a lagoon pool, social clubhouse, tennis court, gym, yoga facilities and sauna.

Lewis Land partnered with Studio Collective to furnish the completed display, with the interiors designed to demonstrate how the residences could function as permanent homes rather than simply as show apartments.

Studio Collective Director Melissa Park said the surrounding waterways informed the interiors, but in a more restrained way than a traditional coastal scheme.

“We drew inspiration from the canals and coastal surrounds, but our approach was to interpret that subtly through layered materials and a grounded palette of earthy tones, rather than literal coastal references,” Park said.

“We introduced hero moments of green and teal to reference the surrounding waterways, while mirrored elements help reflect natural light.

“The result is a residence that feels elevated yet comfortable, somewhere buyers can genuinely imagine themselves living, entertaining and unwinding.”

Sky Homes are priced from $3.65 million.

Lewis Land is also offering private marina berths with The Residences, its limited collection of three and four-bedroom villas positioned directly along the Harbour Shores waterfront boardwalk.

Three-bedroom villas are priced from $2.99 million, while four-bedroom residences start from $3.19 million.

Harbour Shores is being marketed by Colliers International.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=113271]

Lewis Land opens sky home display as The Waterline completes at Harbour Shores

St Vincent de Paul Society Housing Australia has filed plans for a major mixed-use housing precinct on the southern edge of the North Sydney CBD, adding another significant proposal to a pocket around North Sydn​ey Station that is quickly becoming one of the LGA's busiest development zones.

The State Significant Development Application covers a 5,990 sqm site at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/1-19-mackenzie-street-lavender-bay-nsw-2060">1-19 MacKenzie Street and 211 Blues Point Road in Lavender Bay</a>, immediately south of Nor​th Sydney Station and between the commercial core and the lower-rise Lavender Bay Heritage Conservation Area.

Designed by Wardle, the proposal would deliver a new residential tower comprising 88 build-to-sell apartments and 19 affordable apartments, alongside a separate co-living building with 57 rooms and a building manager's studio.

It would also see the significant restoration and upgrade of St Francis Xavier Catholic Church, the adaptive reuse of the former school building, new parish facilities, retail, a new public square and around 1,000 sqm of publicly accessible open space.

<img alt="Vinnies North Sydney" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d5dd7f87-a617-463e-b577-17541e01f0e9" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-26%20at%209.10.13%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=4R8TsFN3P_LrrXO2HswTOIrx2blil8lh" />

The project is seeking a concurrent rezoning of the site to R4 High Density Residential and an increase in the maximum building height to allow a tower reaching RL120, or up to 20 storeys. The proposal was progressed through the NSW Government's Housing Delivery Authority pathway.

The build-to-sell component will be weighted toward larger apartments, with just six one-bedroom apartments compared with 31 two-beds, 43 three-beds and eight four-bedroom residences.

The 19 affordable apartments will comprise two studios, 15 one-bedroom apartments and two two-bedroom apartments, taking the total apartment component to 107 residences before the 58 co-living rooms are included.

<img alt="Vnnies" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="7d568ca5-cb90-4e18-96c6-d9795dba0c56" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-26%20at%209.10.05%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=GY2R5M9VtQh0EKy1vajaea19PSLOPuRD" />

Wardle's design for the Vinnies site has sought to negotiate that emerging high-rise context while retaining the lower-scale character of MacKenzie Street and the adjoining heritage conservation area.

The main building adopts a three-storey podium and tower arrangement, with the podium aligned to the ridgeline and front setback of St Francis Xavier Church.&nbsp;Wardle has designed the podium with colonnades, seating, recessed entries and active ground-floor frontages, with sandstone-toned precast concrete and face brick referencing the materiality of the existing church.

The tower then steps back eight metres to the south and six metres to the north before rising in a sculpted form comprising four interlocking quadrants. Wardle has also introduced rounded forms and chamfered corners to reduce the tower's perceived bulk and improve view sharing with neighbouring development sites.

Resident facilities and outdoor areas are planned at the separation between the podium and tower at Level 3, oriented toward Sydney Harbour and the CBD skyline.

The tower itself will feature a glass reinforced concrete facade, with recessed balconies and deep reveals used both to provide shading and privacy and frame views toward the harbour and city. The lower levels take a different architectural approach, using brick and sandstone-toned finishes intended to establish a stronger relationship with St Francis Xavier Church. The Church itself will be conserved and upgraded for its continued use, while the former school building will be adaptively reused as part of the co-living component.

<img alt="Lavendar Bay" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="2d4418ad-90aa-4d49-af93-c80b140aea80" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-26%20at%209.09.47%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=Kv4gzbsACaGvZSRuaqcfGC54jEJRXIDJ" />

&nbsp;

The proposal adds to an increasingly concentrated pipeline of residential development around Blue Street, MacKenzie Street and Lavender Bay.

Just west of the site, Central Element lodged plans earlier this year for one of the most significant residential developments proposed in Lavender Bay in recent years.

Central Element's SJB-designed scheme at 64-66 Lavender Street and 3-7 Middlemiss Street would deliver 163 apartments across two towers rising 23 and 32 storeys, replacing five existing apartment buildings containing 32 homes. The project also forms part of the Housing Delivery Authority pathway.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-central-element-reveals-lavender-bay-apartment-plans?utm_source=chatgpt.com" rel="noopener" target="_blank">First look: Central Element reveals Lavender Bay apartment plans</a>

Immediately around North Sy​dney Station, another two significant proposals have emerged at 5 and 15 Blue Street.

Zurich Australian Insurance Properties is seeking to adaptively reuse its longstanding commercial building at 5 Blue Street, directly above North Sydney Station, rather than demolishing the structure.

Its SSDA proposes converting the building into a 14-storey mixed-use development with 62 apartments and 86 co-living rooms, together with ground-floor retail and a major refurbishment of Blue Street Plaza. The application is currently at the Response to Submissions stage.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-zurich-targets-north-sydney-office-conversion-with-148-unit-proposal-above-metro-station">First look: Zurich targets North Sydney office conversion with 148-unit proposal above Metro station</a>

&nbsp;

First look: Vinnies files for 20-storey Lavender Bay apartment tower as North Sydney housing pocket heats up

When the opportunity arose for South Australian developer Palumbo to return to Kent Town, where it had previously delivered East Park Apartments and the East 
Rundle Apartments, it wasn't one the longstanding developer-builder was going to pass up.

The decision was quickly vindicated, with more than 30 apartments sold within the first month of launching <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/royal-apartments-kent-town-2-8-north-terrace-kent-town-sa-5067">Royal Apartments</a> to the market.

The 206-apartment development, which will bring significant new supply to Adelaide's tightly held eastern city fringe, also gives <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/palumbo">Palumbo</a> the opportunity to bring new life to one of Kent Town's most recognisable watering holes.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6109 project_image_fid=376073]

Royal Apartments incorporates the historic Royal Hotel, a venue Palumbo Managing Director Daniel Palumbo said has a longstanding connection with the local community.

"Everyone in the area has history with the Royal Hotel," Palumbo told Apartments.com.au.

"It was quite an active pub and social gathering place for locals. We want to bring it back to its former glory."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6109 project_image_fid=376072]

The wider development will comprise two residential towers alongside the restored hotel, sitting on North Terrace opposite the Adelaide Park Lands.

For Palumbo, the project also marks a return to familiar territory.

The developer completed East Park Apartments next door more than a decade ago and jumped at the opportunity to develop in Kent Town again when the Royal Hotel site became available.

"The opportunity emerged, and we moved to secure the site," Palumbo said.

"We were approached by the previous landowner, who said they had extensive commitments in Sydney and weren't in a position to deliver the project.

"We took over the site and within six months recut the design scheme to be more in keeping with the type of development we want to bring to Adelaide.

"Now we're on the market and those changes have really resonated with local buyers."

That has translated into a strong start to sales, with 33 apartments transacting in the project's first 35 days.

Palumbo said the early purchaser profile had been consistent with the group's traditional focus on owner-occupiers rather than investor-led apartment stock.

"Local owner-occupiers have always been our market," he said.

"There are always some investors, but we've never developed what would be called traditional development stock. Owner-occupiers are very much our market."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6109 project_image_fid=376068]

The buyer mix has been diverse so far, with downsizers and younger professionals both accounting for a significant portion of early sales.

South Australia's current stamp duty settings, which allow&nbsp;eligible homeowners in South Australia aged 60 savings of up to $103,830 on stamp duty when they downsize to a new property valued at up to $2 million,&nbsp;have helped encourage downsizer activity, while younger buyers in their late 20s and early 30s have been attracted to the opportunity to live immediately outside the CBD while still being able to walk into the city.



Location has been a major part of the proposition for both buyer cohorts.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6109 project_image_fid=376075]

Royal Apartments sits on North Terrace directly opposite the Adelaide Park Lands, with residents able to walk through the parklands toward the East End, Rundle Street and Rundle Mall.

Apartments have been positioned to capture views across the parklands, Adelaide skyline, Botanic Gardens and Adelaide Hills.

Palumbo believes the scarcity of developable land along this section of the Park Lands makes the site particularly difficult to replicate.

"There's very few allotments on that side that can be developed," he said.

"If this location was in New York and you were sitting on Central Park, you'd be talking about a $60 million apartments."

Royal Apartments will offer a broad mix of residences, ranging from one-bedroom apartments through to four-bedroom sub-penthouses and penthouses.

Current listings include one-bedroom apartments from $680,000, while larger three and four-bedroom residences are priced around $2.5 million.

Residents will have access to a swimming pool, gym, barbecue and recreation areas, residents' lounge and dining space, and a communal deck.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6109 project_image_fid=376067]

The apartments will feature generous balconies, while secure parking, bicycle storage and storage cages will also be provided.

A porte-cochère-style arrival and drop-off area has also resonated with buyers, particularly those attracted to being able to walk into the CBD during the day while retaining secure vehicle access at home.

Palumbo is acting as developer, architect and builder on Royal Apartments, continuing the vertically integrated model it has used across its South Australian portfolio.

The group was also behind the $150 million Sofitel Adelaide, the 251-room five-star hotel and residential tower which opened in 2021.

Palumbo said Royal's launch had come at an interesting time for the broader Adelaide apartment market.

Buyer confidence had initially been impacted by uncertainty surrounding the Federal Budget and broader economic conditions, but Palumbo believes sentiment is beginning to improve against a backdrop of significant investment flowing into South Australia.

He pointed to increased activity across defence and resources, including Olympic Dam, as potential long-term drivers of the state's economy and housing market.

"Money is starting to flow into Adeliade, significant amounts as Adelaide bucks the trend of the rest of the country.," Palumbo said.

"There's a lot of activity in the economy over the next decade. I think more investment will come into this market."

Early works on Royal Apartments are expected to commence this year, with major construction activity and cranes anticipated on site from early next year.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=6109]

Palumbo's return to Kent Town strikes early chord with buyers

Go-to builder-developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/graya">GRAYA</a> is continuing to bulk out its already impressive and diverse apartment portfolio across South East Queensland. Their latest milestone is securing development approval for Silk, its boutique riverfront apartment development in St Lucia.

The approval clears&nbsp;the way for the team to begin construction planning for the 22-residence project.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/silk-st-lucia-16-18-sandford-street-st-lucia-qld-4067">Silk</a> will rise 15 levels from an 810 sqm site at 16-18 Sandford Street, occupying a prominent bend of the Brisbane River with a prized northern aspect across Orleigh Park toward the Brisbane CBD.

The approved scheme will comprise 16 split-floor and six full-floor residences, continuing GRAYA's move into larger-format apartment developments targeting Brisbane's prestige owner-occupier market.

The project has been designed around the site's broad river frontage and dual-direction views, with GRAYA prioritising larger residences, privacy and outlook over apartment yield.

<img alt="Silk St Lucia" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="aa5c2349-f96c-4914-a812-1f2cd6827af8" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-26%20at%208.25.44%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=WY0vEU_7vYjeRJKQHiCwFdMxu8PvFh52" />

GRAYA Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Rob Gray said the project had been shaped around local homeowners wanting to remain in St Lucia without maintaining a traditional family home.

"St Lucia is one of those suburbs people do not want to leave," Gray said.

"They know the river, the trees, UQ, the golf course, Toowong and Indooroopilly, and that familiarity is hard to replace.

"True riverfront opportunities here are exceptionally scarce. What we have designed at Silk is a way to stay in the suburb people love, with the scale and privacy of a private home and far less to maintain.

"This is not typical apartment product. It is a proper home on the river, and that is exactly what this market has been missing."

The approval comes as new apartment development continues to increase across the St Lucia and neighbouring Toowong corridor, although direct riverfront sites remain considerably more tightly held.

GRAYA Co-founder and Managing Director Andrew Gray said securing the approval had removed a significant element of development risk from Silk.

"Genuine riverfront sites of this quality in St Lucia are not something that comes up regularly," Gray said.

"The approval removes a substantial layer of execution risk, and the location underwrites demand in a way very few inner-city sites can.

"The fundamentals here are as strong as anything we have assessed in Brisbane."

<img alt="Silk St Lucia" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d0f3d734-65e1-48e8-8ed3-2e0715ffcdd9" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-26%20at%208.25.56%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=sOLSs_jdHkXLWbBKzRyayf5BfTb2vPsD" />

Silk will see GRAYA return to a stretch of the Brisbane River where it already has recent construction experience. The vertically integrated group recently completed ARC in neighbouring Toowong as builder for developer Spyre, delivering the riverfront project on a constrained site.

GRAYA will take a different role at Silk, controlling the project from design and development through construction and aftercare under its vertically integrated model.

The development will include a gym and resident leisure areas at ground level, integrated with the river's edge.

Silk joins a growing pipeline for GRAYA across Brisbane and the Gold Coast, which includes Enclave, The Gallery, Coral and Ripple.

The developer-builder has also recently lodged plans for its largest project to date, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-silo-19-chester-street-newstead-qld-4006">The Silo</a>, a proposed <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/qld/graya-buys-frasers-newstead-site-plans-the-silo-between-james-street-and-gasworks-precincts">$700 million mixed-use development</a> in Brisbane's James Street precinct.

Silk is expected to predominantly target local owner-occupiers and prestige buyers seeking a permanent riverfront home in Brisbane's inner west.

Registrations of interest are now open, with further details on the project and construction program to be released as it progresses.

<hr />
<h2>SILK PROJECT FACTS</h2>

Developer-builder: GRAYA

Project: Silk

Location: 16-18 Sandford Street, St Lucia

Apartments: 22

Built form: 15 levels

Site: 810 sqm riverfront holding

Mix: 16 split-floor and six full-floor residences

Status: Development approved

Next step: Construction planning underway

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=152168]

GRAYA greenlit for riverfront St Lucia apartment development, Silk

Meriton

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Billionaire Harry Triguboff’s Meriton Group has become the country’s largest home builder, the latest HIA-Colorbond Housing 100 report shows.
It jumped from fourth place after more than tripling the number of housing starts from last year to 7,929.
"The leap to the top from last year's fourth placing reflects the growing trend towards apartment living and a nationwide apartment boom," Meriton's managing director Harry Triguboff said.
Meriton's dwellings commenced in the year 2013/2014 trumped Perth’s traditional home builder BGC, who ran second with 5,004 housing starts.
“We are very proud to become the premier home builder in Australia,” said Triguboff.
 “This became possible because of the hard work and dedication of all our staff. We believe that building apartments is very important for the country, the state, the councils, subcontractors, employees and the purchasers. The main thing is – we all did well.” 
Meriton has been New South Wales’ largest apartment developer for several years and last year became Australia’s number one apartment developer. Its 7,929 starts represents more than 10% of the 66,764 dwelling commencements of the entire Housing 100.
The surge in new apartment starts pushed Brookfield Multiplex (with 2,189) and LU Simon (1,179) into the top 20 builders list.
Among the share of dwellings started by the 100 largest builders, apartments, or multi-residential dwellings, rose in proportion to 24% of the total from 16% a year earlier.
The HIA-Colorbond report predicts 182,416 housing starts for the year to June, up 12.7% from the previous year.
Meriton’s status as Australia’s largest home builder is a significant achievement for a company that operates only on Australia’s east coast.
It has constructed more than 60,000 dwellings in Sydney, Brisbane and the Gold Coast over the past 50 years. 
Currently, Meriton has more than 15,000 apartments in its construction pipeline across 25 sites. 
It has spent $431 million on six site acquisitions in 2014 to date, purchasing in covetable inner-city areas with plans to build both residential and serviced apartment accommodation.
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Harry Triguboff’s Meriton tops HIA-Colorbond Housing 100 builders list

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Meriton Apartments boss Harry Tribuboff says he's only interested in an outright sale of the entire group, not part of the business.
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“It’s everything or nothing,” the veteran negotiator Harry Triguboff told News Ltd.
“I’m only talking with one person, not running around selling to many because it will take too much of my time.”
Meriton’s construction pipeline of 4,000 apartments is mostly in Sydney.
He said Australian apartment prices had plateaued. 
Recently ranked by BRW as Australia’s eighth richest person with an estimated $5.5 billion wealth, Triguboff revealed that a Chinese developer had made an offer to buy part of the Meriton group that he valued at more than $6 billion.
"I will not sell part and I still have to understand how he proposes to buy,” Triguboff said.
Picture of Harry Triguboff courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
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Meriton's Harry Triguboff says it's all or nothing

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Meriton Group has indicated its support of the current regulations surrounding foreign investment in real estate, but would like their liberalisation.
"Although offshore buyers represent only a small percentage of Australia’s overall sales, this market is an important factor in maintaining business confidence and giving developers the impetus and security to embark on new projects – directly increasing the supply of new housing" the Meriton founder Harry Triguboff advised the House of Representative inquiry into foreign ownership of residential property.
It was among the most diligent of submissions made to the committee which the Treasurer, Joe Hockey asked in March to report back by October. There were an <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/House/Economics/Foreign_investment_in_real_estate/Submissions" target="_blank">underwhelming 15 submissions</a> made on the supposed controversial issue which Liberal MP chairperson Kelly O’Dwyer has tried to make her high-profile cause.
"If Australia wishes to keep housing affordable and to keep developers building, it is imperative that we embrace foreign investment in real estate and the certainty it can bring to industry," the Meriton submission said.
"In light of Australia’s recent Free Trade Agreement with China, this review represents an opportunity for FIRB regulations to in fact be liberalised rather than further restricted."
Harry Triguboff said it was his belief that it was a range of other factors, such as excessive local government planning requirements and fees, that added to the cost of housing and which have seen first home buyers effectively pushed out of the market. 
"There are many possible solutions and alternatives to this problem which do not involve restricting the flow of foreign investment in Australian real estate. 
"The outcomes of this inquiry are of major significance to Meriton, as the nation’s largest apartment developer, and the housing market overall.
"In order to ensure consistent and affordable residential housing supply, it is important that Australia strengthen its ties with overseas markets that are not subject to the ups and downs of the domestic economy. 
"Foreign investment remains a welcome source of support for the local housing and construction industries and any changes to regulation would be keenly felt."
He hopes welcome to discuss this issue with the committee. 
Their submission noted Meriton is Australia’s largest apartment builder, constructing over 2,500 new apartments annually, and accounting respectively for 6.4% and 1.6% of annual dwelling commencements in NSW and nationally. 
Meriton provides employment for around 2,700 people across the building and services sectors. It employs either directly, or as sub-contractors, up to 2,000 people in the construction industry on around 15 active building sites in Sydney, Brisbane and the Gold Coast, and over 700 in the services and tourism sector, contributing significantly to the Australian economy.
Meriton’s forecast turnover for 2014 is some $2 billion. 
"Foreign investors contributed to around 13% of Meriton’s sales in the financial year 2012- 2013, and without securing this initial foreign investment, many of Meriton’s complexes may not have been developed," the submission said.
The submission said foreign investment in Australian residential real estate had often been the subject of political controversy. 
"In the late 1980s, concerns over Japanese investment, particularly in Queensland, led to the amendment of the foreign investment legislation and the establishment of regulatory arrangements which are essentially operating unchanged today," it said. 
Photo of Harry Triguboff courtesy of Wikipedia/Creative Commons.
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Meriton's Harry Triguboff says FIRB regulations should be liberalised, not further restricted

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Harry Triguboff’s Meriton has purchased a Sydney CBD western corridor office building for around $60 million with a likely serviced apartment hotel conversion in mind.
The 234 Sussex Street site (pictured below) is Meriton’s eleventh purchase since January 2013.
<img src="/images/2014/05/01/5ac4a803-c983-481f-bf1b-fe546428007b_FS.jpg" alt="">
The Australian report calculated the group spending $576 million on sites.
The 13 storey Sussex Street building last sold at $45.7 million in 2009 through Stephen Kovacs of Colliers International and Colliers International agent Vince Kernahan on behalf of Stockland Property Group to interests associated with Aneurin Bowen. 
Chase Corporation had it on its books valued at $41 million in the late 1980s.
Photo of Harry Triguboff courtesy of Wikipedia/Creative Commons. 
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Harry Triguboff buys 234 Sussex Street Sydney

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Eighty-one year old Harry Triguboff, owner of renowned Meriton Apartments, is potentially looking to sell half of the company to Chinese interests.
The potentially $3 billion opportunity for Triguboff saw him tell the AFR Weekend that he received the offer a couple of years ago from the owner of a property developer who is already prolific overseas – building 200,000 dwellings in China each year. He would not reveal the developer.
Asian interests were <a href="/news/asian-buyers-covet-while-harry-triguboff-considers-one-day-handing-meriton-reins-to-grandkids">identified in Meriton in March last year</a>, however last month, before his visit to Guangzhou, there had already been unsolicited bids reported for Meriton Group. At this stage, he told The Australian that he would likely reject the offers.
Billionaire Harry Triguboff, born in a White Russian Jewish enclave in China, has spent 50 years building ­Australia’s biggest unit company, ­Meriton Apartments.
“I am thinking I could sell part of [Meriton],” Triguboff reportedly told the AFR.
“It is very early stages, but I could be prepared to sell the development part of the business and then the family could continue to collect the rent on the units I already own. Maybe I could retire soon and they could run the investment business.”
Meriton is expected to make $300 million of profit from the sales of $1.1 billion worth of apartments, and the company carries very little debt – worth around $6.3 billion.
He also said that he looks to keep the 2,000 units he currently owns in family hands. They are placed across Sydney, the Gold Coast and Brisbane and return $200 million profit each year, worth up to $3.5 billion.
Admirably, he also said that he was not going to sell anything “if they are going to start firing people”.
“Other people think about shareholders, well, I think about my people. I don’t look at it if it is a good or bad deal, I am looking at the evolution of the company. He [the potential buyer] wants apartments that are able to be sold. Of course there are many Chinese buying in Australia at the moment and what we have is a lot of apartments that already have a lot of approvals. That is why they are interested in me.”
Triguboff’s business acumen has been a revered topic of many in the property space.
At 79, he <a href="/news/meriton-boss-harry-triguboff-eases-into-the-twitter-revolution-at-age-79">signed up for Twitter</a>.
At 80, Property Observer created <a href="/expert-insights/buying/harry-triguboff-s-heaving-wheelbarrow-a-timeline-of-meriton-s-growing-300m-sydney-apartment-site-inventory">a timeline of some of his latest developments</a>. And he also <a href="/expert-insights/buying/harry-triguboff-celebrates-80th-birthday-with-proposed-100-million-inner-sydney-site-acquisition-and-calls-for-more-rate-cuts">celebrated his 80th with a proposed $100 million inner Sydney site acquisition</a>.
YOU MIGHT ALSO WANT TO READ
<a href="/expert-insights/investing/meritons-harry-triguboff-shares-his-business-secrets-no-cottages-no-subdivision">Meriton's Harry Triguboff shares his business secrets - no cottages, no subdivision</a>
Picture of Harry Triguboff courtesy of Wikipedia/Creative Commons.
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Harry Triguboff considers retiring with part sale to Chinese interests

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Iconic billionaire property developer Harry Triguboff has said that apartment prices will tumble and rentals will rise if demand from Chinese developers drops off.
The man known by some as High Rise Harry told The Australian that he anticipates a 10-15% price drop in some areas if Chinese buyers were to stop purchasing Australian properties. He also said that the subsequent halt in new developments would also cause rental rates to rise.
"If production (of units) dropped, the impact would be a huge rise in rents," he told The Australian. Triguboff attributed residential prices to poor national planning systems.
According to the publication, about 70% of Triguboff’s apartments are sold to offshore buyers and Australians of Asian descent. However, Triguboff told Bloomberg earlier this year that his company does not market properties to mainland China and has no intentions to begin doing so. 
"They come to me," Triguboff told Bloomberg in February. "Today, we’re part of the Chinese market, more than 10,000 apartments is nothing," he said, referring to Meriton's construction capacity.
Triguboff established the Meriton Group in 1963 at just 30 years old. According to Triguboff, the business is now worth $6.1 billion. The apartment developer is mostly active in Sydney and South East Queensland, and also owns or manages about 3,000 apartments in addition to its construction and development activities.
According to BRW's 2013 Rich 200 list, he is Australia's eighth richest person, with a net wealth of $5.5 billion. Triguboff was born in China and moved to Australia in 1948. 
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