Triguboff pushes ‘go’ on $1bn pipeline of new apartments

The 83-year-old developer yesterday said that strong sales at his Pagewood Green community showed that buyers still had plenty of ‘oxygen’.

“Yes, we had what you might call a blip two or three months ago when the market was adjusting to tighter lending rules for offshore buyers,” Mr Triguboff said.

“That blip’s history, the market’s re-adjusted, and as far as Meriton is concerned, things are back to normal,” he said.

“We’ve got buyers, we’ve got sites, and we’ve got some great projects under way.

“Rents are strong, investors are happy, and the horizon looks to be clear of any interest-rate shocks.

“I’ve got my finger on the go button and we expect to have some vigorous sales activity in the run-up to Christmas.”

Mr Triguboff’s bullish stance comes as fears mount over a potential oversupply of apartments in core real estate markets in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney.

The RBA’s latest Financial Stability Review warned that a large number of new apartments has started to come on line, and as more completions are expected in the coming two years, this could see increased risks in several major Australian cities.

The report reveals that risks “appear greatest” in Brisbane and Melbourne’s inner-city suburbs, where the pipeline of construction is large relative to the existing dwelling stock, and where conditions are fairly subdued, especially in Brisbane where rents are now falling.

Last month APRA warned that risks within the housing and residential development market remain elevated.

[Related: Major cities may see off-the-plan purchases fail]