The Victorian Government has secured the passage of the Building Legislation and Treasury Legislation (Tax Relief) Amendment Bill 2026, introducing a suite of reforms aimed at improving consumer protection and confidence in the apartment market.

Resilience Insurance, Australia’s leading Latent Defects Insurance (LDI) provider, has welcomed the move.

The LDI elements of the Bill passed with bipartisan support and now moves to the Legislative Council where debate and passage are expected later this month. It represents a significant milestone in the national shift toward stronger, longer-term protection for apartment buyers.&nbsp;

The reform would deliver practical benefits across the housing system. Apartment owners will have stronger protection if major defects emerge, developers and builders will have a clearer quality framework to work within, and the State will reduce the risk of serious building failures becoming a long-term financial and social burden for households, communities and government.&nbsp;

LDI helps support apartment delivery while providing stronger protection for buyers and encouraging better construction outcomes.&nbsp;

Resilience LDI provides apartment owners with 10 years of insurance-backed cover for major structural defects from completion, with direct claim access to the insurer. This means owners are not required to first pursue developers or builders through costly legal action before accessing protection.&nbsp;

Resilience Insurance has been operating in Australia since 2022 and has already insured hundreds of development projects covering many thousands of apartments across Australia.&nbsp;

At approximately 1.8 per cent of build cost, it is a cost-competitive alternative to the traditional two per cent Strata Bond, bond while delivering significantly broader and longer protection.&nbsp;

“The Victorian Lower House vote shows that reforms like this succeed when they are practical, evidence-based and supported by industry," says Corey Nugent, CEO of Resilience Insurance.

"Victoria is moving quickly on a reform that will make a real difference for apartment buyers, while supporting better building outcomes and greater confidence in apartment delivery.

“This is step one. We look forward to the Bill completing its passage through the Legislative Council and to working with government and industry to implement the framework effectively.”&nbsp;

Fast Facts: What is Resilience LDI?&nbsp;

<ul>
	<li>Resilience Latent Defects Insurance (LDI): Covers major structural defects for 10 years from completion.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Consumer-first: Direct claim access, no need for lengthy legal action.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Cost advantage: At approximately 1.8% of build cost, LDI is typically priced below the traditional 2% Strata Bond while offering broader protection.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Market leader: Resilience Insurance is the first approved LDI provider in NSW.</li>
</ul>

The Building Legislation and Treasury Legislation (Tax Relief) Amendment Bill 2026 has passed the Victorian Lower House, putting Victoria on track to become the first state to legislate an industry workable LDI framework as a formal alternative to the Strata Building bond. 

Joel Robinson

10-year Latent Defects Insurance for new apartment buyers set to land in Victoria

Just a few months after acquiring a prime Broadbeach site on the corner of First Avenue and Surf Parade, family-run developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/raptis">Raptis</a> has filed fresh plans for a new apartment development.

Raptis is seeking to deliver a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/17-19-first-avenue-broadbeach-qld-4217">29-storey tower with 73 apartments</a> on the 818 sqm site. It will be the developer's seventh project in the suburb, as they are approaching completion of The Sterling on George Avenue.

There will be a pool, barbecue and outdoor dining area, residents lounge and dining, sauna and steam room, gym, and a Yoga and Pilates studio.

<img alt="Raptis" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b554da3f-7344-49aa-b1c9-44cf459af0d7" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-06-05%20at%2010.41.45%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=zzjWu1iO1wnuYv4EV4fyOyf5nSXjGYut" />

Raptis Joint Managing Director, Evan Raptis, says they remain&nbsp;committed to developing quality infill sites across the Gold Coast in the lead-up to the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.

"This project continues our long track record of delivery in Broadbeach, and we look forward to bringing another premium development to this thriving precinct."

The announcement follows strong delivery momentum for Raptis, with The Sterling Broadbeach nearing completion and construction well underway on the final stage of the Waterpoint community adjacent to Harbour Town. The developer's continued investment in the Gold Coast reflects confidence in the region's apartment market fundamentals, underpinned by sustained Southeast Queensland population growth.&nbsp;

The outlook for the region is further bolstered by infrastructure investment tied to the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games, which is expected to drive continued economic and population growth across the SEQ corridor.&nbsp;

Subject to a favourable response from Gold Coast City Council, construction on the new First Avenue tower is targeted to commence before the end of 2026.&nbsp;

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/qld/it-s-all-in-the-family-four-decades-later-raptis-continues-to-shape-the-gold-coast-skyline">It’s all in the family: Four decades later, Raptis continues to shape the Gold Coast skyline</a>

Read more: <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/qld/raptis-secures-prime-surf-parade-site-for-next-broadbeach-apartment-development">Raptis secures prime Surf Parade site for next Broadbeach apartment development</a> 
&nbsp;

Gold Coast developer brings seventh Broadbeach project to market, targeting construction commencement before year end

First look: Raptis lodges plans for new 29-storey Broadbeach tower 

Brisbane development veteran Kevin Seymour's Seymour Group is set to deepen its presence on one of Brisbane's most tightly held riverfront addresses, lodging revised plans for a luxury apartment development on Oxlade, just a few doors down from The Oxlade, which it completed in 2024.

The <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/70-72-oxlade-drive-new-farm-qld-4005">new project at 70-72 Oxlade Drive</a>, directly north of The Oxlade, will have 27 apartments across a seven-storey building&nbsp;overlooking the Brisbane River and Merthyr Park. It's a revision from a 2021-approved design.

Designed by bureau^proberts, the project has evolved from the previously approved 26-apartment scheme, introducing an additional penthouse level while maintaining a low-density, boutique character. The development will comprise 26 three-bedroom apartments and a single four-bedroom penthouse, supported by two basement levels with 86 car spaces and 34 bicycle spaces.

The architectural response is centred around two distinct building forms separated by a landscaped open-air atrium.&nbsp;"This dual composition captures and embraces Brisbane’s subtropical environment whilst breaking down built form and scale," the submission to the Brisbane City Council noted.

<img alt="First look: Seymour Group returns to Oxlade Drive with revised riverfront apartment plans in New Farm" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c12d84d0-bc11-4067-b46f-5bd2d786a34d" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/new%20farm%20landscape.png?VersionId=YEPc2k5CAdh6aAPlu4uVpgZadh4MEfRd" />

A defining feature of the design is a deep landscaped void running through the centre of the building, creating what bureau^proberts describes as a "natural ravine" that enhances airflow, daylight penetration and resident amenity. The design report notes that the separation of the two building volumes is intended to maximise natural light, cross-ventilation and outlook while strengthening connections to the surrounding riverfront setting.

Curved balcony edges, integrated planting and extensive landscaping throughout the façade reinforce the subtropical design approach. The building's façade is softened by elevated gardens and planter beds, creating a green edge that complements the established landscape character of Oxlade Drive and neighbouring Merthyr Park.

New Farm has become one of Brisbane's most sought-after suburbs for developers delivering premium downsizer-focused apartments.

GRAYA has been particularly active in the precinct, completing both Chalk and York in recent years, while construction of Moray House, being delivered for Spyre, is now nearing completion. Architect-turned-developer Joe Adsett recently launched <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/arcilla-new-farm-by-joe-adsett-28-maxwell-street-new-farm-qld-4005">Arcilla on Maxwell Street</a>, an exclusive collection of just nine apartments.

First look: Seymour Group returns to New Farm's Oxlade Drive with riverfront apartment plans

A new residential tower will be the first piece of a broader mixed-use precinct set to reshape a prominent Newcastle West site, with local developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/gwh">GWH</a> bringing its <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/cambridge-quarter-newcastle-west-12-denison-street-newcastle-west-nsw-2302">Cambridge Quarter</a> vision to market.

The first release, Tempo, will introduce 87 apartments across a 24-storey tower, marking Stage 1 of the residential component of a larger urban regeneration project planned for the western end of Newcastle's city centre, encompassing the former Cambridge Hotel site.

Positioned on Denison Street, Tempo has been designed as the inaugural building within Cambridge Quarter, a precinct that will ultimately combine apartments, retail activation and revitalised public spaces including the revamping of the Cambridge Hotel.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135876 project_image_fid=368853]

The tower will comprise a mix of one, two and three-bedroom apartments, including layouts with multipurpose rooms, catering to a broad cross-section of owner-occupiers. Apartment sizes range from around 60 sqm to 192 sqm, with a number of residences oriented to capture views across Newcastle Harbour, the city skyline and coastline.

GWH has emphasised liveability in the design, with open-plan layouts extending to generous balconies and terraces. Residents will have a choice of two interior palettes, while specifications include engineered stone benchtops, SMEG appliances, full-height bathroom tiling and secure building access. Premium upgrade packages will also be available.

Multiple rooftop resident retreats will provide communal outdoor space overlooking the harbour and city, offering an elevated amenity layer above the activity of the precinct below.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135876 project_image_fid=368851]

The broader Cambridge Quarter vision extends beyond the residential tower itself. Ground-level retail activation and landscaped public areas are planned throughout the precinct, creating a walkable neighbourhood environment connected to the surrounding renewal of Newcastle West. The Cambridge Hotel is also earmarked for future redevelopment into a family-friendly hospitality venue integrated with the new precinct.

The project is strategically positioned within walking distance of Newcastle Interchange, providing access to light rail, regional rail services and direct connections to Sydney. Residents will also be close to Honeysuckle, Newcastle Harbour and the city's beaches and coastal walkways.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135876 project_image_fid=368852]

For GWH, Cambridge Quarter represents one of its most significant Newcastle developments to date. The locally based developer, which has operated in the Hunter region since 1995, describes the project as a new chapter in the ongoing transformation of Newcastle West.

GWH Executive Director Jonathan Craig said the project had been shaped by a focus on creating lasting community connections.

"We take pride in creating places that last. Spaces where people feel connected, comfortable and a genuine sense of belonging," Craig said.

"Cambridge Quarter is something we are truly proud of, a place shaped by local knowledge, built with care and designed to be part of Newcastle's next chapter."

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=135876]

GWH unveils first release at landmark Cambridge Quarter precinct in Newcastle West

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/ss-projects">S&amp;S Projects</a>,&nbsp;Rainbow Bay's busiest developer,&nbsp;has officially lodged plans for the largest development in its booming local portfolio, seeking approval for a further 88 apartments on Boundary Street.

The proposal&nbsp;at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/209-213-boundary-street-coolangatta-qld-4225">209–213 Boundary Street, Coolangatta</a>,&nbsp;marks the next chapter in the developer's transformation of the southern Gold Coast beachside precinct. It will be its fifth in the area, having already delivered Flow, Awaken and Esprit, while construction continues on the 38-apartment Radia. The new project would rise 57 metres above a consolidated 1,518 sqm site, on the same street as Radia and Esprit.

&nbsp;

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/cottee-parker-architects">Cottee Parker</a>, the proposed development comprises 88 two and three-bedroom apartments across a contemporary podium-and-tower form that integrates extensive landscaping from street level through to the rooftop.

The tower would be delivered above a basement and multi-level podium accommodating resident and visitor parking, with the residential component commencing from level three. The design incorporates cascading planting throughout the façade, landscaped podium edges, and deep planting zones along the Boundary Street frontage.

<img alt="First look: S&amp;S Projects lodges plans for 88-apartment wellness tower at Coolangatta's Boundary Street" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="677e6615-b5c0-4b6c-b4f9-efb14fcde1a6" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/ss%20da%20pers.png?VersionId=YOnPKQm7IFXv0M5H326djEpxk80500Hi" />

A key feature of the development is its expansive rooftop wellness and recreation precinct. Plans reveal a resort-style pool deck, gymnasium, sauna, steam room, hot and cold plunge pools, rooftop terraces, barbecue areas and landscaped relaxation spaces positioned to capture views across the southern Gold Coast coastline.

The rooftop wellness focus builds on the vision S&amp;S Projects first outlined when it acquired the site for $20.25 million last year.

"We are taking every advantage to create a truly unique rooftop wellness experience with a natural feel for residents, offering stone features throughout and an underlying theme that emulates a botanical garden," S&amp;S Projects founder and director Paul Gedoun said at the time.

The proposal seeks a 57-metre building height, representing a 50 per cent uplift on the site's mapped 38-metre height limit. Planning documents argue the additional height is consistent with recently approved and emerging towers in the immediate Boundary Street and Rainbow Bay precinct.

Urbis, acting as planning consultant, said the development would provide "88 dwellings, comprising a mix of two and three-bedroom apartments, contributing to housing choice and supply within an established medium to high-rise coastal urban neighbourhood."

The scheme has undergone extensive pre-lodgement consultation with the City of Gold Coast, with the design refined following feedback relating to architectural expression, landscaping, traffic access and podium treatment.

<img alt="S&amp;S" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0a2d70fd-62ac-4b83-97c6-b798fc1243dd" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-06-05%20at%209.16.31%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=yHmghUwKM3IVGpBktQU1mE.0Lpf3WimG" />

The architectural team is led by Brisbane-based Cottee Parker, one of Australia's most active residential design studios, with landscape architecture by Dunn + Moran. The consultant team also includes ADG Engineers, Windtech and Acoustic Works.

S&amp;S Projects has become one of the most influential private developers operating on the southern Gold Coast. Since entering Rainbow Bay in 2022, the company has assembled a portfolio exceeding $1 billion in end value, establishing itself as a key player in the area's evolution into a premium apartment destination. Pezet Matheson will again handle the sales for S&amp;S.

Coolangatta is entering another wave of apartment development, following the delivery of several prominent residential projects in recent years.

John Kearney's Immerse Projects will launch&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/kaiya-kirra-beach-5-haig-street-coolangatta-qld-4225">Kaiya on Haig Street</a>&nbsp;soon, meanwhile, Palm Beach-based Sherpa Property Group is preparing to bring its debut Coolangatta development, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/flourish-viver-87-griffith-street-coolangatta-qld-4225">Flourish Viveré</a>, to market later this year, subject to approvals.

First look: S&S Projects proposes 88-apartment wellness tower at Coolangatta's Boundary Street

Harry Triguboff

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Sydney's apartment market has slowed, developer Harry Triguboff says.
The NSW decision to increase the stamp duty surcharge for foreign buyers to 8 per cent had put the housing market at risk, the Meriton founder said after a flurry of sales last month to foreign investors wanting to buy before a doubling in stamp duty charges.
"The market [has been] a bit slow since the beginning of July."
It was too early to say if the slowdown was a permanent change or not, he said.
"But we must understand there is a limit to how many tricks we can do," Mr Triguboff told The Australian Financial Review.
"We don't want investors, we want to punish Chinese.
"In the end, it takes its toll. We must remember that," he said.
"In June, we probably exchanged twice as much as we normally would because all the Chinese were in a hurry to buy and to be able to save on stamp duty," he said.
"Now this agitation has stopped and they have to face the reality that everything has changed."
He said Chinese buyers are more comfortable now than they were at the start of the year, when the refusal by local banks to fund their apartment purchases and slowing apartment values caused many to panic, Mr Triguboff said.
"In the beginning [of the year] it was terrible," he said noting the purchasers were not prepared for the problems which were created.
"So many of them wanted to get out.
"But then we told them they would have to lose the 10 per cent deposit, so they changed their mind.
"And we gave them the money.
"So many of them were saved."
In May, Mr Triguboff said he was financing about $200 million-worth of the $1.4 billion in sales he expected to make this year.
Like many other developers, Mr Triguboff said demand was now shifting to local buyers.
"The Australians are coming in, slowly," he said.
"The problem with Australians is they are very slow. They ask their lawyer, they ask their financial adviser, they ask their family, they ask everybody.
"The Chinese don't ask anybody, they come off the plane, buy their unit and go."
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

Harry Triguboff says NSW property stamp duty rules are punishing the Chinese

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There are 60 billionaires on the 2017 Financial Review Rich List - the most ever there has been in the 34-year history of the list.
There were 53 last year.
Not unexpectedly, property remains the dominant sector on this year’s list, with 58 rich listers making most of their money in the property sector. (see list at bottom below)
Harry Triguboff comes in second overall with a boost in fortune to $11.4 billion.
The top property five included Frank Lowy, John Gandel, Hui Wang Mau and Lang Walker. 
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2017/05/26/Property.jpg" alt="">
The least known is Hong-Kong based Hui Wang Mau, who holds most of his wealth in the Hong Kong-listed Shimao Property Group which owns 175 Liverpool Street in Sydney.
He is included as he has Australian citizenship after studying for an MBA at the University of South Australia in the early 1990s. His fortune is $6 billion.
The much-awaited BRW Rich List is out on news stands on Friday, but the top of the top richest in Australia have been announced. 
Anthony Pratt, the packaging and recycling tycoon, tops the Financial Review Rich List with $12.60 billion in wealth, swapping places with apartment developer Harry Triguboff.
Anthony Pratt’s Visy cardboard box manufacturing and recycling business dominates Australia, but his rising wealth is mainly due to the huge growth of Pratt Industries in the United States.
He was last #1 on the list of Australia’s 200 wealthiest people in 2009, just months after his father Richard Pratt died. He has since more than doubled the size of the Visy and Pratt Industries businesses in Australia and the US.
Last year’s no. 1 and Australia’s top apartment builder Harry Triguboff is #2 on the list with wealth of $11.45 billion. In spite of losing the top spot, Triguboff’s wealth is a record figure.
Mining tycoon Gina Rinehart is #3 with a wealth of $10.41 billion, up from $6.06 billion last year as commodity prices rise and iron ore production improves.
Her estranged daughter Bianca Rinehart, who controls 23 per cent of Hancock Prospecting, is also among the billionaire ranks (#15, $2.74 billion).
The Rineharts are two of 22 women making appearances on the 2017 Rich List, with 10 of them hitting the billionaire mark. The Rineharts, whose combined wealth equals $13.15 billion, are the top two women on the list and the richest people in their respective states (Perth and Brisbane).
Westfield chairman Frank Lowy is #4 on the list with $8.26 billion in wealth, followed by Glencore boss Ivan Glasenberg at #5 with $6.85 billion.
Glasenberg’s wealth rose from $3.33 billion a year ago as the commodity trading giant’s share price surges following a tough few years.
The list’s highest ranked debutant is Tim Roberts, son of the late Multiplex founder John Roberts. Tim Roberts, aged 46, debuts at #62 with wealth of $986 million. He operates the Perth Jet Centre and hedge fund manager Warburton Group.
Actress Nicole Kidman is the highest entertainer of this year’s Rich List at 97, with wealth of $347 million.
Long-time rich lister and owner of Canberra airport, Terry Snow, is the newest billionaire.
Melbourne property developer, Larry Kestelman, is ranked the second highest debutant on the list.
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2017/05/25/OverallTop5.png" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2017/05/25/OverallTop5.png" alt="">
The combined wealth of the top 5 male Rich Listers more than doubles the combined wealth of the top 5 female Rich Listers, totalling $46 billion compared with $18.37 billion.
Many on the list that have made money in other industries have poured their proceeds into property development or management businesses.
Property is followed by investment (21), resources (18), retail (18) and financial services (16), with agriculture, manufacturing, technology, media, healthcare, entertainment, travel, transport, telecommunications and education also featuring in the list.
Property is followed by investment (21), resources (18), retail (18) and financial services (16), with agriculture, manufacturing, technology, media, healthcare, entertainment, travel, transport, telecommunications and education also featuring in the list.
Other highlights:
<ul>
<li>This year is the first in the 34-year history of the Rich List that three names are above the $10 billion mark.</li>
<li>Total wealth of the Rich List is up to $233.1 billion, from $197.3 billion last year.</li>
<li>The average wealth per person on the Rich List rises to a record $1.16 billion, up from $987 million last year.</li>
<li>There are 22 women on the 2017 Financial Review Rich List.</li>
<li>The combined wealth of the top 5 men on the list is more than double that of the top 5 women.</li>
<li>There are 8 female billionaires.</li>
<li>There are 10 new names on the list this year.</li>
<li>Departures from the Rich List include the late James Fairfax and Michael Crouch.</li>
</ul>
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jonathanchancellor-7SQnKwU6yx

Property tycoons dominate Financial Review Rich List with record-breaking Australian wealth

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Harry Triguboff, Australia’s biggest apartment developer, is financing about $200 million mostly Chinese buyers of his apartments as China imposes tougher currency controls to get money out of the country.
Triguboff, the owner of developer Meriton Group, said his company didn’t lend until two years before, but with Australian banks tightening lending to Chinese investors and China making it harder to take out money, financing became an option.
"Now, [I'm lending] maybe $200 million. It might go up to $400 [million]. But then they will start paying back. This is the worst time. What's happening is I don't have old customers, so nobody's paying me back. So I'm building it up. In another year, they'll start paying me back,” Triguboff told the Australian Financial Review in an interview.
Despite saying he was "unfortunately" lending to his customers, it is something Triguboff, who topped the BRW Rich List for the first time last year with an estimated fortune worth $10.62 billion, can afford. Meriton's balance sheet is strong enough to extend finance to its customers. 
“I don’t want to be a banker, but I have to be one if our banks won’t lend,” he said a while back.
Apartment prices are also weakening, he said.
"Now, if anything, it's going down a bit," Triguboff said. "It went up in the beginning of the year. Now it's gone down."
He expects to make $1.4 billion worth of apartment sales this year.
Apartment values in Sydney fell 1.2 percent in April while in Melbourne, they were down 0.9 percent, CoreLogic figures show. Meriton develops in NSW and Queensland but not in Victoria. 
Just last year, Tribugoff was worried that Chinese investors leaving the market would trigger a 10 per cent fall in Sydney apartment prices, which might have even blown out to a 20 per cent fall. 
Triguboff had predicted more buyers to forfeit their deposits and fail to ­settle off-the-plan units due to funding constraints, both as China clamped down on taking money out of the country and Australian banks tightened lending to overseas investors.
"The Chinese government is making it hard for them. That is the biggest problem,” he told the AFR.
But recently, the Chinese have started coming back as they think the Chinese government would start to ease the control towards the end of the year, fuelling optimism among investors.
Recently, Meriton raised his off-the-plan development prices up 3.5 per cent without seeing demand fall. 
Overseas Chinese are now snapping up some 50 per cent of Meriton apartments sold off the plan. Australian-born Chinese are taking around 25 per cent and Australian investors/first homebuyers are taking about 25 per cent, according to a recent article in The Australian.
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Triguboff lending around $200 million to Chinese buyers to tide over their funding crisis

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Stalled apartment projects because of tougher lending conditions are pushing up prices of units again in Sydney, says Australia’s richest man Harry Triguboff.
“Less projects are going ahead,” Triguboff, founder of Australia’s largest apartment developer Meriton, told The Australian.
The issues around offshore and local buyers having difficulties settling apartments as Chinese authorities curbed capital outflows and Australian banks tightened lending criteria had not prevented a new wave of buyers — particularly from China — from signing contracts and ­settling their unit purchases, Triguboff said.
“The new buyers are finding other ways to fund the unit,” he said.
Meriton, which expects to build 3000 units this year, which grew its mortgage book last year for buyers of its apartments in the wake of tougher lending criteria by banks, said in the article in The Australian.
“This year, they are paying me back,” Triguboff said, noting buyers were able to get alternative funding.
Sydney’s apartment market would continue to flourish in 2017, he said despite threats of oversupply and chances of more regulatory intervention to squeeze investor lending.
Earlier this week, RBA assistant governor Michele Bullock said regulators were prepared to do more if the housing market poses risks to the economy.
“You can’t produce units with a magic wand,” Triguboff said, noting it could take years from gaining an approval for a project to apartment buyers moving in.
Unit rents had risen about 3-4 per cent over the past year, in a sign that demand remained strong, he said.
The monthly CoreLogic Hedonic Home Value Index reported a further rise in the value of capital city homes in February, led by Sydney where home values grew 2.6 percent over the month, with head researcher Tim Lawless saying “growth conditions have been rebounding since the middle of last year when, on two separate occasions, interest rates were cut, and investor demand commenced trending higher”.
Triguboff said as projects failed to find funding, new development would take a hit and rents would rise, worsening Sydney’s affordability.
“You can buy off the plan, but you can’t live in it for years, so rents will go up,” he said.
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Tougher lending rules pushing up apartment prices: Triguboff

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Apartment king Harry Triguboff has renewed plans for a high rise in Surfers Paradise.
The 90-level beachfront skyscraper will replace a 22-level 1960s building on The Esplanade.
The highest apartments in the yet-to-be-named tower will look down on the units in the Gold Coast’s current tallest building, the 78-floor Q1 super tower.
The project also exceed in terms of floors, the 89-level Spirit building planned by Hong Kong’s Forise group.
Triguboff’s Meriton group has agreed to buy the International Beach Resort, originally the Apollo, for $58 million.
It will start demolition next month.
Meriton has selected a design submitted by SJB for the 3833sq m site, which is expected to have around 270 serviced apartments and 300 residential apartments.
Triguboff said a development application would be lodged by the end of February.
The Meriton tower would be split vertically into three distinctive tiers, each defined by coloured glass panels.
Circular halo effects atop each tier would be lit at night, creating a beacon along the foreshore.
Meriton is buying the International Beach Resort from Singapore businesswoman Gertrude Guok, who bought it for $11.4 million in 1993.
“The Surfers site is the best in town — the sort of property I’ve always dreamed of having on the Gold Coast,” said Mr Triguboff.
“The city’s displaying verve and vibrancy like I haven’t seen for years and it’s given me the confidence to make a big investment.
“With a site like this one, the sky’s the limit and we will do the Gold Coast proud.”
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Harry Triguboff seeks beacon-inspired Gold Coast tower with record 90 floors

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Developer Harry Triguboff now has over 3,000 apartments in Sydney as part of his property investment portfolio.
The Meriton group founder and owner has a total of 3066 apartments, estimated to be worth in excess of $3 billion.
Some 4500 serviced apartments are owned by Meriton.
Victor Toscano, Meriton’s head of residential leasing, said that the vacancy rate for the 6000‐plus apartment’s rent roll was only 0.06 per cent.
“This year we hit an all‐time record, signing up 134 tenants in one week and battled to keep up with demand, which is great for both Mr Triguboff and for our investor clients," he said,
“People want to be within easy reach of the CBD and they are after lifestyle – they want things like pools and gyms and they want shops, restaurants and cafes.
"The Triguboff‐owned apartments produced income of $79.57 million in the 2015‐16 year.
“A lot have been added to Mr Triguboff’s portfolio since June 30 so the income figure’s expected to top $100 million in the latest financial year.
“He’s extremely comfortable when it comes to keeping apartments because his company’s built the blocks and knows everything about them.
“He’s always insisted, be it for his own apartments or for those that are sold, that each building has a dedicated on‐site manager.”
"The holdings were spread across 11 Meriton projects and were in the suburbs of Chatswood, Lane Cove (pictured above), Chiswick, Rhodes, North Sydney, Waterloo, Zetland and Mascot.
“The first big block that was retained was at Bondi Junction, where the 305 apartments have since been converted to serviced apartments.”
Property Observer has a profile on the Tempe apartment block that got Harry Triguboff started in 1963 here.
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Harry Triguboff Sydney apartment portfolio surpasses 3,000

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Billionaire developer Harry Triguboff has confirmed the Meriton Group mortgage book has grown by around $60 million in five months, to beyond $120 million, but he told the AB+F website the run was finished.
“As it happens, at the moment, I’m not approving any. Today nobody wants my money," he said.
Triguboff said talk of bubbles was "very irresponsible".
"This is an empty continent we need people. Australia is a big place. Here in Sydney we have a boom. A great boom,” he said, before adding: “I’m sure that in Melbourne or Brisbane there will be problems, I’m sure there will be - but what can you do?"
The billionaire said he was a reluctant banker and was only fulfilling a need. 
“I only do it when the banks suddenly stop. Because the world doesn’t suddenly stop. So I have to keep moving, we have to have a smooth run," he said. "If they (traditional lenders) refuse to give money for whatever reason, I will always step in." 
The last time lenders wings were clipped, Triguboff, lent $600 million to underpin apartment sales, when his net worth was far less.
“I never compete (with the banks),” he said. “They have clauses there, which they use on the Chinese now. They can get out and not give the money for some reason. It's nonsense. 
According to Triguboff the banks are allowing the regulators to cut their nose to spite the entire industry.
“They gave the developers money because they know the Chinese will buy - they give the money to the builder, the developer - but then when it comes to the purchaser they say ‘I cant give it to you' for some reason," he said. 
“They read what the foreign press says about these bubbles, then our authorities - APRA and ASIC - run to the banks. So the banks get frightened. So they decide they have to be careful … which is very good, they are careful. But I think our banks are really, very, very cautious.”
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Harry Triguboff says his lending has come to a halt

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Meriton's Harry Triguboff has commenced proceedings against the NSW government's transformation arm UrbanGrowth.
It involves grievances around UrbanGrowth excluding Meriton from the tender of two residential super lots in Sydney's north shore.
Mr Triguboff previously sued UrbanGrowth in 2015 for excluding Meriton from the tender of the 1.5-hectare properties at "Lachlan's Line", the northern end of the North Ryde Station Priority Precinct for residential development.
Now Triguboff is going to the courts to gain access to tender information and documents under the Government Information (Public Access) Act after UrbanGrowth allegedly refused access under the Act.
The Lachlan’s Line project was announced by the NSW Government in 2013 as part of the NSW Government’s North Ryde Station Precinct. The new contemporary urban village will provide approximately 2,700 homes for around 5,000 residents.
"UrbanGrowth is responsible to get the best deal for the people of NSW," Harry Triguboff said.
"I would've thought they would welcome the opportunity to show everyone what a good job they are doing," Mr Triguboff said.
The site in question, known as Lachlan’s Line in Macquarie Park, was sold by UrbanGrowth to the Chinese developer, Greenland Investment (Australia) Pty Limited.
The current proceedings come after UrbanGrowth refused to provide any documents in answer to a formal application by Meriton under the Act. 
Meriton's General Counsel, Joseph Callaghan, said the current application was not an attempt to revive the earlier Supreme Court proceedings but about "ensuring a fair and transparent tender process".
The successful bidder of the two lots, Chinese developer Greenland, has applied to join the proceedings to allegedly block Meriton's request for access.
Greenland won the tender offering $190 million. It has since commenced presales at the $800 million 800-apartment project on the combined site known as "nbh". Meriton noted no settlement funds had yet been paid by the developer for the land.
This year two further high density superlots were offered for sale as one package via an expressions of interest campaign through Colliers International.
UrbanGrowth NSW's  second stage land release at Lachlan’s Line included an affordable housing offering which must be purchased by a community housing provider, or a private developer in a joint venture or similar.
Bates Smart had prepared the concept design for around 172 apartments and the third site of 96 affordable housing apartments.
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Triguboff seeks Greenland Lachlan's Line tender documents in Urbangrowth courtcase

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Meriton, Australia’s largest apartment developer, is selling its strata-title management business.
It looks after more than 6000 apartments in Sydney and the Gold Coast.
Harry Triguboff, the Meriton founder, said that the move was a response to wholesale reforms to the strata-title laws in NSW, which come into effect on December 1.
“One of those reforms effectively shuts Meriton, and other developers, out of having any role in the strata-management of their properties until the buildings are 10 years old,” he said.
“We are veterans in this business and haven’t taken the decision to exit it lightly.
“We’ve always run our own ship at our own developments and things have gone swimmingly and with great success.
Meriton is selling an entity which trades as Meriton Strata Management Pty Ltd and looks after 6194 lots spread over 33 schemes. Two of those are on the Gold Coast and are included in the selloff.
Meriton’s Ryan Walmsley said the gross annual income from base management fees and insurance commissions exceeded $1.1 million.
“There is potential upside from other expenses and fees that apply within each management contract.”
Mr Walmsley said two-thirds of the strata-management schemes in Meriton’s portfolio were under contract until 2018 or longer.
“The strata-scheme properties involved are in a metropolitan location and have been with us for many years.
 “Our portfolio will offer a great addition for any operator on the expansion trail.
“They will be buying well-maintained schemes that are big and viable – they have an average of 188 lots.”
Mr Walmsley said it had been evident for some time that strata-management companies were jostling for position and aggressively were targeting acquisitions.
“That’s happening against a backdrop of Australia turning into a nation of apartment dwellers.
“Nearly one third of NSW residents already live in apartments and one estimate is that the figure could climb to 50 per cent by 2040.”
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Strata reforms trigger Meriton exit from strata management

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An article by the Fairfax Media Domain executive editor on Australia's richest man, the property developer Harry Triguboff has been taken down from the Sydney Morning Herald Domain website.
But not before several thousand shares after its brief Saturday posting.
The article about a hospital attendance was uploaded <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/execute_search?text=triguboff&amp;ss=smh.com.au%2Fexecute_search.html" target="_blank">at around 7am Saturday morning</a>.  
Only a cached version is accessible.
The now unpublished Domain article, which came with two seemingly surreptitious waiting room photos of the billioniare, was headlined:
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<h1>Australia’s richest person, Harry Triguboff is in public hospital waiting room</h1>
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<div><img src="https://static.domain.com.au/domainblog/uploads/2016/05/27211336/2_gp63to.jpg" alt="Australia's richest person, Harry Triguboff, at St Vincents on Friday morning." width="750" height="421"></div>
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<div>The removed article noted just days after being named the nation’s richest person that the property developer Harry Triguboff was "mixing with the hoi polloi at St Vincents (sic) Emergency. </div>
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<div>"Emerging from his Mercedes, with the aid of an aluminium stick, Triguboff, 83, who has built more apartments in Australia than anyone else, walked slowly through the doors."</div>
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<img src="https://static.domain.com.au/domainblog/uploads/2016/05/27211336/3_gp6a30.jpg" alt="Harry Triguboff has no plans to retire and will celebrate his top dog status on the Rich List with his many employees next week." width="353" height="465" style="font-size: 12.16px; line-height: 1.3em;">
“I’m just returning this boot, and I need to have some X-rays,” the article said he told the triage nurse in the Friday morning attendance.
He’d tripped over his little black four-month-old poodle, Susie, a week ago, and broken his toe.
“She was just playing,” he advised.
The SMH article author, Stephen Nicholls noted, "in the X-ray waiting room, I congratulated him on making it to the top of BRW’s list."
Triguboff topped the Fairfax Media's 2016 BRW Rich 200 list for the first time with $10.62 billion in wealth.
“Yes thank you, I’ve never been number one,” he said, again grinning broadly, the article noted.
“I’ve been number three a couple of times.”
What now for him, <a href="https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:DakGh3FCYtcJ:www.domain.com.au/news/australias-richest-person-harry-triguboff-is-in-public-hospital-waiting-room-20160527-gp6238/+&amp;cd=4&amp;hl=en&amp;ct=clnk&amp;gl=au" target="_blank">Nicholls said he asked?</a>
"Any plans to retire? “Retire – what would I do?” he said, adding he’s “now got so much money, I don’t know what to do with it all”.
The Australian's Margin Call business gossip column had written of Harry's busted foot mid-last week illustrated with a <a href="https://nicholsoncartoons.com.au/2016-05-26-harry-triguboff-broke-his-foot-is-the-week-before-announcement-of-australias-richest-person-cartoon" target="_blank">Nicholson cartoon</a>.
*Jonathan Chancellor was the SMH property editor from 1986 to 2011, and has been a News Corp Australia property columnist since 2015.
 
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