Trenert Group walks away from Sandpiper Broadbeach tower redevelopment after court case

A developer has walked away from a proposed $71m beachside tower development after a court stoush with the dad of a reality TV star. Here’s why:

A Melbourne developer has walked away from its proposed $71m redevelopment of an ageing beachside tower at Broadbeach after a court stoush with the dad of a reality TV star.

Trenert Group, headed by managing director Peter Priest, had begun buying out existing owners in the 48-unit Sandpiper, but were scuppered by rival developers who swooped in with a buying spree of their own.

The stoush sparked a case in the Victorian Supreme Court, with Trenert company Sandpiper Developments suing Dean Giannarelli, Ross Pelligra, Paul Pelligra, Petros Dimitrious and companies associated with them.

Deputy Premier Steven Miles (right) and Peter Priest from Trenert. Pic: Annette Dew

Mr Pelligra, Mr Giannarelli and his son Dion – who starred in the 2022 season of Married at First Sight – are developing Mariners Cove and its Ritz-Carlton hotel for $480m.

Sandpiper Developments had settled purchases of at least 12 apartments in the tower and had contracts with owners of another 15 which were due to settle this month.

The Bulletin understands the settlements did not take place, and the project has been removed from the Trenert website. Mr Priest has been contacted for comment.

In the Victorian court case, Mr Priest’s company claimed it gave the rival developers information that was subject to a confidentiality deed, after they made a $40m offer for the whole project.

Sandpiper in Broadbeach.

Ross Pelligra and Dean Giannarelli at the Ritz-Carlton Gold Coast announcement

According to Sandpiper’s claim, confidential details about the unit owners, including what prices they’d been offered and who had declined to sell, was used by the rivals to approach owners in the building and make their own offers for the apartments.

The court matter itself landed Mr Giannarelli and Mr Pelligra’s company in another legal wrangle, when they were sued by their own lawyers over allegedly unpaid legal fees.

Brisbane law firm AJ and Co Lawyers was seeking $176,000 from the duo and the company in the case, which was settled out of court in February.

Sandpiper has since been removed from Trenert’s website.

It’s the second Gold Coast project Trenert has withdrawn from in recent years.

It initiated development of luxury $90m Main Beach highrise White, but subsequently handed over development to its construction partner McNab.

Trenert this week announced plans for a $1.2bn world-class, mixed-use development project in the heart of the Olympic precinct at Stanley St, Woolloongabba.