Once described by the NZ Life and Leisure magazine as “a man who clearly missed out on the ‘can’t’ gene,” Auckland property developer John Sax is always obliging in sharing his visions, his dreams and ultimate success.
One such dream is the huge Market Cove development in South Auckland. Initially unveiled in 2014, the $1 billion project was delayed until the plans were reworked to give people on lower-incomes a chance to own their homes. “We hope to bring people from a place of despair to being able to live in a pleasant place and to be part of a community that will nourish them” Sax says.
Located on a former market garden, the master-planned 14ha precinct will eventually provide 1400 homes for 4000 people by the time it’s completed in five to eight years.
As the founder and owner of Southpark Corporation, Sax is one of Auckland’s largest industrial landowners and has been responsible for the redevelopment of sites such as the former Affco and Hellaby meat works, the 830-residence Kensington Park housing project in Orewa and the $400 million Waterloo Business Park in Christchurch.
A university dropout, Sax started out selling duty-free sports gear and within a few years had more than 100 people working for him. He says it is extremely important for young people “to have a dream.” And while the greatest inhibitor for most people is the fear of failure, he says “go and discover who you really are.”
Well known for his philanthropy and Christian views, Sax founded the For The Sake of Our Children Trust. Married to Alma, the couple have two children and live in Epsom’s historic Edwardian mansion ‘Florence Court,’ which has a rateable value of $19.5 million.