HVAC Replacement in a Live Aged Care Facility
Mildred Symons House Project Overview
Mildred Symons House is a 127-bed residential aged care facility operated by Anglicare, located in Jannali, NSW. After nearly two decades of continuous service, the facility's original Daikin VRF 2-pipe air conditioning system had reached end of operational life — creating growing maintenance demands, reliability concerns, and resident comfort issues that could no longer be deferred.
CBC Group was engaged as Head Contractor to deliver a $2.5 million Design & Construct HVAC replacement across a fully occupied, live care environment. The project required not just technical capability, but precise coordination, stakeholder sensitivity, and an unwavering commitment to resident safety and continuity of care.
The Problem
End of life insfrastructure in a sensitive environment
Ageing HVAC infrastructure in occupied healthcare and aged care buildings presents compounding risks that extend well beyond comfort. For Mildred Symons House, the operational picture was clear:
- Increasing system failures and reactive maintenance incidents were disrupting daily operations
- Residents and staff reported declining thermal comfort across the three-level facility
- The existing 2-pipe VRF system lacked the zoning flexibility required for a modern aged care environment
- Deferring replacement further risked complete system failure in a building with 127 vulnerable residents
For facilities managers and asset owners operating aged care environments, the consequences of unplanned HVAC failure are significant — from regulatory non-compliance and care standard obligations, to resident health outcomes and operational disruption. Acting proactively is not just best practice; in this setting, it is a duty of care.
The Solution
Staged Design & Construct Delivery
CBC Group designed and delivered a new air-cooled VRV heat recovery system to replace the end-of-life infrastructure — engineered for enhanced thermal zoning, long-term reliability, and minimal operational disruption.
The defining feature of our delivery approach was a carefully structured 5-stage, 9-month program. Rather than a single large-scope shutdown, each stage was sequenced to maintain continuous facility operations, isolate construction activities from occupied areas, and allow Anglicare to manage day-to-day care without interruption.
The Outcome
Improved Comfort, Reliability and Operational Confidence
CBC Group completed the HVAC replacement program on time and within a live aged care environment, achieving the outcomes Anglicare and Mildred Symons House needed most:
- Enhanced thermal zoning across all levels — delivering measurable improvement in resident and staff comfort
- New air-cooled VRV heat recovery system replacing end-of-life infrastructure with modern, reliable technology
- Improved long-term system maintainability and reduced reactive maintenance exposure
- Zero unplanned disruption to resident care services across all 5 stages of delivery
- Strong feedback from Anglicare on communication transparency, site professionalism and delivery quality
For the facility management team at Mildred Symons House, the outcome extends beyond the system itself. With reliable, zoned HVAC infrastructure now in place, the facility is better positioned to meet care standards, manage operational costs, and provide a comfortable environment for residents and staff for years to come.
"We would like to thank you and the team for your committment and professionalism with our staff and especially our residents while works were being carrried out"
Thomas Gray | Resident Operations Manager | Anglicare
Our Project Team
Adam Greedy Construction Manager
Chris Abbott Project Manager
