Springfield Land Corporation

Springfield Land Corporation (SLC) "is a wholly owned subsidiary of the MUR Group of Companies, an entrepreneurial property development company established in Western Australia in 1976. The Springfield project was first conceived by the group in 1991 and is now the major focus of Springfield Land Corporation.

The Springfield project

The chairman of SLC Maha Sinnathamby "bought the land in 1992 for $7.9 million and it would now be worth about $1 billion." [1]

"Springfield is described as the largest master planned community development project, in size, in Australia. The overall site contained an area of about 2,850 ha. Estimates of the population on completion of the project vary between 55,000 and 60,000 people to live on 15,000 to 18,000 residential allotments. The master plan provides for five residential neighbourhoods each with commercial neighbourhood centres, significant open space corridors and a central/southern Town Centre on a site of about 320 ha." [2]

Delfin Lend Lease "has a long term alliance with the Springfield Land Corporation in the development of Springfield, the largest contemporary master planned community in Australia." [3]

In an otherwise positive article in the Brisbane Courier-Mail (October 7, 2006), Trent Dalton noted that:

"In 1996, Springfield Land Corporation, a development company stemming from Sinnathamby's MUR Group (named after his daughters Meera, Uma and Raynnuha), was investigated by the Criminal Justice Commission over bribery allegations concerning political donations SLC made to several political figures, including then Ipswich mayor John Nugent, a key player in the future of Springfield. The same year, the company admitted giving almost $80,000 in donations to 22 local, state and federal political candidates. SLC was cleared of any wrongdoing, but a shadow was cast over Sinnathamby's sunny vision.

"'We donated $10,000 to John Nugent and I still donate to all the political parties,' he said, tapping his folded hands on the boardroom table. 'The thing is, that's our democratic system. John Nugent would be one of the most honest men I've come across. He would match Abraham Lincoln. That's a fact.'" (Dalton, 2006, p.20)

The only newspaper article referring to this incident was written in 1996, the full article is provided below:

"Md of the Springfield Land Corporation, Maha Sinnathamby, has admitted to donating almost $A80,000 to 22 different political candidates; the SLC is planning the controversial $A2.9bn Springfield residential development near Ipswich in Queensland; seven of the donations were made to local govt officials, including $A7,500 to Ipswich mayor John Nugent and $A10,000 to former Ipswich mayor, Dave Underwood; Sinnathamby says that he makes donations to political parties in order to gain approvals." (Annon, 1996)

Contact

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External links

• Annon, "Developer paid pollies $80,000", Courier-Mail, October 5, 1996.
• "Acquisition of Land Act: Springfield Land Corporation (No. 2) Pty Ltd and The State (2003) A2001-0606", June 13, 2003.
• Skeffington, "The richest list of all", The Age, May 24, 2004.
• Trent Dalton, "City of hope", Courier-Mail QWeekend, October 7, 2006.