A significant milestone was celebrated at Melrose Park on 3 November as NSW Premier Chris Minns officially turned the sod for Dawn. This marks the commencement of Stage 5 of Sekisui House Australia’s $5 billion masterplanned community. Melrose Park is Sydney’s next landmark urban neighbourhood.
The event brought together representatives from Sekisui House Australia, Decode, Alister Eden, Principal Group GSA, ASPECT Studios, and local stakeholders to mark the beginning of construction on this transformative residential precinct.
Premier Minns said the project represents a significant step forward in delivering much-needed homes in well-connected, sustainable neighbourhoods.
“Projects like Dawn are about more than housing supply, they’re about building complete communities where people can live close to transport, jobs and open space,” he said. “Melrose Park shows what can be achieved when government and industry work together to deliver quality, sustainable development for Sydney’s future.”
Developed by Sekisui House Australia in partnership with Hankyu Hanshin Properties and built by Decode, Dawn will deliver 368 park-side residences, contributing to more than 5,500 new homes within the wider Melrose Park precinct.
Kazunori Ito, Group CEO and Managing Director of Sekisui House Australia, said the sod turning symbolises the company’s continued commitment to housing affordability, community building and environmental responsibility.
“This moment represents more than the start of construction—it’s about creating a new urban heart for Sydney’s geographic centre,” Mr Ito said. “Dawn and the broader Melrose Park vision will generate thousands of jobs and deliver sustainable, high-quality homes that embody our global ‘Love of Humanity’ philosophy.”
Designed by our Living + Lifestyle team in collaboration with ASPECT Studios, Dawn sets a new benchmark for contemporary apartment living. Six buildings are arranged around a central pedestrian spine, linking Western Parklands to Central Park and creating a continuous green corridor that encourages movement and connection.
The design integrates deep-soil planting, rooftop gardens and shared courtyards to enhance wellbeing and biodiversity. Every apartment is oriented for natural light and ventilation, reinforcing GroupGSA’s people-first approach to sustainable urban design.
Construction is now underway, with completion expected in 2028—ushering in a new chapter for one of Sydney’s most significant urban renewal precincts.
🔗Read more about the design for Dawn Melrose Park.
Alister leads the Living Environments team as a Principal in Architecture and Urban Design. His passion for design and leadership throughout Australia and the UK underpin his unique design approach, demonstrated by his extensive architectural and urban planning portfolio of complex, successful, and innovative projects, many of which are award-winning.