Premier Chris Minns turns sod at Dawn Melrose Park as construction commences
A new chapter in Sydney’s urban renewal story begins today as NSW Premier Chris Minns officially turns the sod for Dawn, the fifth stage of Sekisui House Australia’s $5 billion Melrose Park masterplanned community.
Developed in partnership with Hankyu Hanshin Properties and built by Decode, Dawn will deliver 368 parkside residences, forming part of one of NSW’s largest privately owned urban renewal projects.
The milestone marks the start of the next phase in transforming Melrose Park into a new community delivering over 5,500 homes, a mixed-use town centre, 50,000 sqm of open green spaces and several future schools.
Kazunori Ito, Group CEO and Managing Director at Sekisui House Australia, said the milestone symbolises the company’s ongoing commitment to job creation, housing supply and sustainable community building.
“This moment represents more than just the start of construction," Ito said.
"It is about building a new urban heart for Sydney’s geographic centre. Dawn and the wider Melrose Park masterplan will generate thousands of jobs, deliver quality homes for families and help more people realise the dream of home ownership.
“We are proud to be supporting the NSW government’s housing targets and expanded Home Guarantee Scheme, which came into effect on 1 October. The program is already opening doors for more first home buyers at Melrose Park, many of whom are using the scheme to purchase with a five per cent deposit and no Lenders’ Mortgage Insurance.”
Since its introduction, the enhanced federal government’s Home Guarantee Scheme has given first home buyers greater access to the property market. With value thresholds in New South Wales now lifted to $1.5 million, buyers can secure a new apartment in Melrose Park sooner, reducing the burden of saving a 20 per cent deposit and removing costly mortgage insurance premiums.
The Dawn precinct, designed by Group GSA embodies Sekisui House’s global “Love of Humanity” philosophy, integrating sustainability, technology and liveability into every design detail. Residents will enjoy abundant green space, energy efficient features and a direct connection to the future Parramatta Light Rail Stage 2 and Melrose Park Town Centre set to open in 2026.
As part of the NSW government’s long-term commitment to the local community, work recently commenced on the new Melrose Park High School, a state-of-the-art education facility designed to accommodate more than 1,000 students. The school will be within walking distance to Dawn and will become a cornerstone of the precinct’s family friendly environment.
Melrose Park’s smart community vision includes EV charging stations, environmental monitoring systems with Western Sydney University and NBN node to residence connectivity. With over $216 million in planning contributions committed to local and state infrastructure, this project supports NSW’s 30-minute city goal, ensuring residents can live, work and play within easy reach of key employment and lifestyle hubs.
Dawn’s contemporary residences all have secure basement parking and start at $649,000 for a one-bedroom apartment and $1.259 million for three-bedrooms.
The project will also overlook Central Park which spans nearly two hectares and features barbeque and picnic areas, children’s play zones and walking tracks ideal for active residents and pets.
Residents will enjoy exclusive rooftop community facilities including private rooftop gardens, beautifully landscaped podium parks and internal courtyard gardens.
Construction of Dawn, which is being led by regarded builder Decode, will be completed by Q1 2028, adding to Sekisui House’s pipeline of more than 9,000 homes and apartments under development across Australia.
