Melbourne's largest private house and land developer, Villawood, will include childcare centres in the eight new estates it plans to launch next year.
Executives Tony Johnson and Rory Costelloe said Villawood received 15 expressions of interest to run six childcare centres that will be built in the first stage of each new project.
"It will be one of the pillars of our model going forward," Mr Johnson said.
Few other greenfield developers offer childcare facilities and council-run facilities were often delivered late in the life of a project – well after residents had moved in, he said.
The group would offer a childcare centre in every future project, with preferential rights for purchasers so they're guaranteed a place.
Villawood is known for providing community facilities like pools, gyms and cafes in "residence clubs" on its estates, which provide a social hub for residents and attract buyers.
"We want to try and bring in a model of having a community house and childcare centre as an early-delivery item," Mr Costelloe said.
The centres will be owned and built by Villawood and run by an independent operator, with not-for-profit YMCA a leading contender to provide the service.
Mr Johnson said strong land sales would support the staged launch of eight new projects next year.
They include at least 5055 lots in estates in Truganina, Sunbury, Wollert and Plumpton, in Melbourne's north and west, and Lyndhurst on the city's southern edge.
Another 2000 lots will come online in an estate on Queensland's Gold Coast, he said.
