Billionaire developer Harry Triguboff has called on Australia to increase its immigration intake but has issued a warning about China.
The Meriton Group founder explained his reasons for supporting increased immigration during an appearance on the popular podcast Straight Talk with Mark Bouris.
“We need more immigration, because if we don’t have immigrants, it is very, very difficult (to build),” he said.
Triguboff, considered Australia’s fourth-richest person, suggested the country would collapse due to an aging population unless immigration levels were increased.
‘Life is so difficult in many parts of the world that everyone would love to come here. Not to destroy us, they just want to come live here. “It’s a good place to live,” said Mr. Triguboff.
He advocated for a diverse immigration policy that welcomes immigrants from a wide range of backgrounds.
“The Chinese are wonderful immigrants, but if we bring too many of them, they will take over,” Mr. Triguboff explained.
“Now I really like Eastern Europeans because they know how to work. They are well educated, they will be good. I think the South Americans are good too. But we cannot depend only on one lot.
Meriton founder and CEO Harry Triguboff (pictured) said the number of migrants coming to Australia should increase, not decrease.
Mark Bouris (pictured) conducted a wide-ranging 90-minute interview with Harry Triguboff
‘Of course the Chinese are the best: they have money, they work, they study and they are young, but we can’t depend on just one guy.
‘I mean, if you talk about a Vietnamese guy or a guy from Taiwan, they’re still the same Chinese, there’s no difference between them.
‘So we have to make sure we have all kinds. And they themselves want all kinds. If they love themselves enough to be Chinese, why did they come in the first place?
During the conversation with Bouris, Triguboff said councils are partly to blame for Australia’s housing crisis, due to their slow approval of new developments.
‘City councils do not approve anything quickly. “I have a lot of money, I would love to build more, but I can’t get approval,” said Mr. Triguboff.
He suggested council staff should be given bonuses to encourage them to approve more development applications.
“The problem is that the councils are voted on,” he said of the third level of government. He reported that the councilors told him: ‘Harry, what you said is perfectly correct… but if we pass it, we will lose the seat.’
‘That’s why I say that the councilor should not have the right to approve. Because they are not doing it for the good of the country, but for the good of themselves,” said Mr. Triguboff.
‘The bureaucrats (should approve it). “If bureaucrats pass more, they should get bonuses.”
Harry Triguboff is the owner of the Meriton Group and said councils are partly to blame for Australia’s housing crisis, due to their slow approval of new developments.
A Meriton spokesperson said Mr Triguboff’s comments were “part of a broader discussion highlighting the vital role migration plays in Australia’s growth and the contributions of various communities to the nation”.
“In the podcast, Mr. Triguboff expressed his abiding respect for Chinese immigrants, recognizing them as hardworking, entrepreneurial, and deeply committed to education,” the spokesperson said.
“However, he also reaffirmed his advocacy for a balanced and diverse approach to immigration, which he believed would best serve Australia’s long-term interests.”