Shayne Neumann (Blair, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I warmly welcome the residents of Springfield Central into the electorate of Blair. Springfield Central, which is south of Augusta Parkway and the Springfield Greenbank Arterial Road, has been added to the electorate of Blair. Founded in 1992, Springfield is Australia’s largest master plan city and community development project in single private ownership.

The Greater Springfield area is the vision of Maha Sinnathamby and his business partner Bob Sharpless via their corporate vehicle, the Springfield Land Corporation. The ultimate objective is to create a city with a population of 105,000 people by 2031. Currently, over 20,000 people live in the Springfield area. Springfield is a vital part of the city of Ipswich, where I was born and have lived all my life.

I want to acknowledge the presence of Bob Sharpless, Managing Director of Springfield Land Corporation, and Russell Luhrs, the Executive General Manager, Planning and Infrastructure of Springfield Land Corporation, who are in Parliament House today. They are here to talk about further community infrastructure development for Springfield. The federal government is partnering with Springfield. The Springfield Town Centre Parklands has received a $10 million contribution from the federal government. This is an important initiative—important for the recreational and sporting lifestyles of the people of Springfield and Ipswich Central.

Springfield is located in the western corridor, between south-west Brisbane and Ipswich Central. The economic development of Springfield is vital to the city of Ipswich. According to the University of Queensland’s John Mangan, the economic and social contribution of the Springfield project will be an annual gross output regional turnover of $1.15 billion—an enormous sum of money—and it will support or create over 5,000 jobs.

Springfield is a mere 10 minutes drive from where I live in Flinders View, on the south side of Ipswich, The area contains many suburbs and estates, including Brookwater, Augustine Heights, Springfield Lakes, Spring Mountain and Springfield Central and, of course, many wonderful precincts—Education City, Health City Springfield, Springfield Technology Park, Parkside Business Address and the fast-growing Orion Shopping Centre in Springfield Central.

I am thrilled that part of Springfield is in my electorate of Blair. I wish the residents well, and I will fight hard to deliver community infrastructure for the people of Springfield. Also, I welcome the application which has just been made by the Mater Private Hospital and Radiation Oncology Queensland for regional cancer centre initiative funding for Springfield under the Health and Hospitals Fund. I wish them every success in their application.