43-storey housing tower planned for $880m Parramatta Metro development

The NSW government has announced a proposal that would build 470 new homes and 500 student accommodation units in Parramatta. The new housing, which will be footsteps from the Parramatta Metro station, will include a build-to-rent 43-storey residential tower. What's next? Tunnelling for Parramatta Metro has been completed, with construction of the station set to commence in mid-2027. Hundreds of new homes have been flagged for Western Sydney as part of the $880 million Parramatta Metro station and precinct development. The proposal would see the construction of four buildings between 24 storeys and 43 storeys high, introducing 470 residential dwellings and 500 units for student accommodation in the heart of Parramatta. In March 2025, the NSW government had outlined concept plans for 111 new homes to be built above the metro station, as part of the Sydney Metro West project — a 24-kilometre railway line connecting Sydney CBD to Parramatta CBD. Now, new plans reveal that number has increased and will include a build-to-rent 43-storey residential tower, a 29-storey commercial tower, a 24-storey building dedicated to student housing and an eight-storey hotel. Design details are subject to further planning approvals, with the final proposals to go on public exhibition for community feedback at a later date. Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully told the ABC the state government's focus was building a "good, connected community". "Sitting alongside the new metro station, surrounded by jobs, services and open space is exactly the sort of site we should be maximising our housing opportunities from," he said. "It shows what's possible when you take a considered approach to planning around new infrastructure." Parramatta Metro tunnelling completed Mr Scully acknowledged the "big infrastructure investment" associated with the $880 million contract for the design and construction of the Parramatta Metro station, precinct and associated developments. Parramatta is not the first precinct along the Sydney Metro West route to have housing plans announced. The new Bays West precinct, which promises to deliver up to 8,500 new homes in Sydney's inner west, will also be served by the Sydney Metro West line via The Bays station. Procurement for integrated station developments at Sydney Olympic Park and Pyrmont remained underway, with contracts expected to be awarded by the end of 2026. "We've got a number of transport oriented accelerated precincts … we'll have a look at opportunities to make sure we are connecting homes to transport, jobs, services and amenities into the future," Mr Scully said. Minister for Transport John Graham said tunnelling had finished for Parramatta Metro, with construction of the station set to commence in mid-2027. With Parramatta Metro expected to open in 2032, Mr Scully said the precinct around the metro would take "a number of years" to be completed.