Name Maha Sinnathamby Role Property developer | Spouse Yoga Sinnathamby | |
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Occupation Property Developer, Civil Engineer Children Raynuha Sinnathamby, Naren Sinnathamby, Uma Sinnathamby, Meera Sinnathamby | ||
Rowland 5 minute focus with maha sinnathamby
Maha Sinnathamby is a Malaysian Australian businessman and property developer. He is the entrepreneur behind the Greater Springfield Development in Queensland, the largest master-planned community in Australia.
Contents
- Rowland 5 minute focus with maha sinnathamby
- Platform Properties Maha Sinnathamby Story
- Early life and education
- Business career
- Greater Springfield Development
- Springfield Land Corp
- Personal life
- Philanthropy
- Awards and recognition
- References
Platform Properties: Maha Sinnathamby Story
Early life and education
Born in Malaysia on 10 December 1939, Maha Sinnathamby is a Hindu of Sri Lankan Tamil descent.
His childhood was spent on a British-owned rubber estate in the small farming village of Rantau, Negeri Sembilan. His father worked for the plantation but was taken as a prisoner of war in July 1944 during the Japanese occupation of Malaysia. In September 1945, his father was released.
Maha moved to Australia and studied civil engineering at the University of New South Wales. After graduating, he worked as a civil and design engineer for several years in South East Asia before returning to Australia.
Business career
He started his own property business in Perth in 1971, before moving to Queensland in the early 1980s. He continued building the company with numerous small residential subdivisions and several commercial projects in the region.
Greater Springfield Development
In 1992 with business partner Bob Sharpless, Maha bought a 2,860 hectare (approx 7067 acre) area of land in Ipswich, south-west of Brisbane, for $7.9 million. He then lobbied for basic education and transport infrastructure to be built in the area, which required a rezoning bill to be passed. On 24 January 1997, Queensland Parliament unanimously voted in favour of the legislation.
The Greater Springfield area was designed as Australia's largest master-planned community (10th largest globally), and is focused on interconnected pillars of health, education, and information technology:
Currently, more than $12 billion has been invested by public and private stakeholders into the project. A $1.2 billion dual track major rail line was established in 2013 and connected Greater Springfield to the wider South East Queensland area. Greater Springfield's current population is approximately 35,000, with a predicted growth to 105,000 by 2030. Greater Springfield's masterplan also retains 30 per cent of the land holding for open, green space.
Springfield Land Corp
Maha established Springfield Land Corporation, of which he is the chairman, in conjunction with the purchase of the plot that would become Greater Springfield. The company is responsible for overseeing the development of the Greater Springfield area.
Personal life
In 1968 he married Yoga, and had his first child. Maha has three daughters – Raynuha, Meera, Uma - and a son, Naren. Maha has said that he enjoys spending his spare time golfing in Brookwater.
Philanthropy
Maha has donated more than $200 million of land and funds for vital social infrastructure, and established a program of scholarships within Greater Springfield to assist people with limited access to education. Maha also mentors a select group of young professionals, helping them to achieve personal excellence.
Awards and recognition
Sinnathamby's work was acknowledged globally in 2010 with the emerging Greater Springfield being named the world's best master-planned community by the International Real Estate Federation (FIABCI). He also won the Ernst and Young Master Entrepreneur of the Year.