From politicians, teachers and business people to our world class tennis champion Ash Barty, Greater Springfield is emerging as a city with plenty of stars.

There is no denying these people are influential and work hard to secure a better future for our community.

Here is The Springfield News list of Greater Springfield’s 20 most influential people — The Springfield Power 20.

MORE POWER LISTS

● Logan’s 30 most influential people

● Redcliffe’s 30 most influential people

● Northern Bayside’s 20 most influential people

5. NEIL COUPLAND

With Springfield growing, there is no more critical role than real estate agent in the business community. After working in the industry since 1984, Mr Coupland is the principal of First National Real Estate Springfield, which he opened in 1999. His daughter joined the business in late-2015 and purchased the First National Oxley office in 2017. Mr Coupland is president of The Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce and promotes a comprehensive program of chamber activities including networking and sponsorship opportunities for his members. He chairs the Brisbane zone of real estate agents for the First National network and is also vice- chairman of the State Council for First National. He is a keen golfer and runs a small social golf club.

4. DAVID MORRISON

Tipped out of office earlier this year after corruption charges tore the Ipswich City council apart, former school teacher David Morrison has refused to be found guilty by association and has continued to play a vital role in the Springfield community. He has lived in Division One for 40 years and as a councillor was known as “Mr Springfield”. He shepherded key infrastructure into reality, including the Orion Lagoon. He is this year’s chairman and chief organiser of the Greater Springfield Combined Churches Carols. The question on everyone’s lips regards his intention to stand for re-election in 2020. And the reason he is so high on this power list is the answer he gave to that question: “I can say I still have the energy and passion and have not ruled it in or out. I honestly believe that Ipswich as a City and Division One have a very exciting future.”

3. PHIL CUTCLIFFE

When he ran as in independent for State Parliament last year Pastor Phil Cutcliffe said he felt leading in a community role was what he was meant to be doing. No one in these frantically growing suburbs does it better or with more heart. After living for 23 years in Greater Springfield politics might have eluded him, but the Springfield Christian Family founder and his wife Julieanne ensure the growing city has generosity and humanity at its core. Through the church’s charity arm Westside Community Care they reach out to struggling families and individuals in the Greater Springfield region. Among many other endeavours, Pastor Cutcliffe’s annual Christmas appeal achieves enormous targets and draws support from across the community to help families in need.

2. RAYNUHA SINNATHAMBY

Although there are many talented, community-minded and influential people in Springfield, there were no others in contention for the top of our Springfield Power List because without Maha Sinnathamby and his family, there is no Springfield. Mr Sinnathamby founded the city and steered its development while his daughter, Raynuha, runs the company and has Greater Springfield’s future focus in her sights. Raynuha took over from her father as managing director of Springfield Land Corporation in 2012. Under her direction, the Corporation won the President’s award at the Ipswich Chamber of Commerce Business Awards. Her role has been to carry on and extend her father’s vision to create a city, not a suburb: a place to live, learn, work and play.

1. MAHA SINNATHAMBY

With a generous record of philanthropy, a showcase of achievement awards and a listing in Forbes for his fortune of $900 million, the founding father of Springfield hasn’t earnt the nickname ‘‘Mad Maha’’ for nothing. Back in 1992 Maha Sinnathamby noticed something about the raw, partially discarded 2800ha of land between the backends of Ipswich and Brisbane that no one else could see. He bought the land with his business partner Bob Sharpless for $8 million and proceeded, in the true spirit of Australia’s great eccentric visionaries, to overcome every sort of obstacle to creating the modern city of his dreams, which is now taking shape, at a great pace, at Greater Springfield.

Universally known as “Maha”, Mr Sinnathamby didn’t just want houses, or even roads and schools – although he got all of those – that might have made Springfield just another presentable, but forgettable, dormitory suburb for Brisbane and Ipswich. He wanted to make a difference, creating a world-class planned community that offered high-quality infrastructure, commercially viable and sustainable development and hi-tech jobs, freeing many of his residents from the long commute to work somewhere else. He wanted social justice, health care, education and technology and he put them right at the top of his list so that as the city grew so did the infrastructure and services to support it. While Springfield might well be a little bit ‘‘mad’’, it is also home to 41,000 residents and has a town centre, a golf course, two train stations, a Mater hospital and ten schools. It’s got some teething problems – but as “Mad Maha” told the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce earlier this year “you ain’t seen nothing yet”.