A lack of builders with the capacity to take on big jobs on Queensland’s Gold Coast is forcing developers to prioritise smaller projects, steering clear of major construction work that can turn into a long drain on profits.

MRCB International, a major Malaysian real estate group, has secured development approval for a project – a 20-storey tower with 192 apartments – on a site in Southport that limited the height and hence, the value, to $200 million, the company’s chief executive Ravi Krishnan said.