Dapto Leagues Club Chiller, Cooling Tower & BMS Upgrade

Central plant upgrade in Dapto

Dapto Leagues Club is one of the Illawarra's busiest hospitality venues, and its mechanical plant has to keep up. We have worked with the Club for over a decade, and when it came time to replace the central plant, the Club engaged Axis Align to deliver a newly designed mechanical system from the plantroom to the roof.

Challenges Addressed

•  Access to the plantroom: This was not a typical job where the roof comes off and a crane lifts equipment into place. A different way of getting large plant into the building was needed.

•  Structural support for cooling towers: Three new cooling towers needed a roof platform designed to carry them safely.

•  Old and new equipment working together: The building's controls and switchboard had to manage both the new plant and the existing equipment that was staying.

•  A venue that stays open: Work had to be planned around the operational pressures of a busy club.

Project Scope

The new mechanical system was designed around efficient central plant and integrated controls. The scope included:

Magnetic bearing chiller: Supply and installation of a new Smardt magnetic chiller.

Pump sets: Four new pump sets serving both the chilled water and condenser water systems.

Side access and slide gantry: Instead of removing the roof, we used the side of the building to create access. Our rigging company installed a slide gantry system to move all equipment into the plant room and into position.

Cooling towers and roof platform: We engaged a structural engineer to design a roof platform to hold the three new cooling towers, which we then installed.

Pipework and air handling: All new mechanical pipework was installed, along with several new rooftop air handling units.

Switchboard and BMS: We carried out a full upgrade of the building's mechanical switchboard and Building Management System, covering both new and existing equipment.

Our Holistic-Solution Methodology

A chiller, cooling towers, pumps and air handlers only perform well when they are designed and controlled as one system. Our approach ensured:

End-to-End Delivery: Design, engineering, rigging, installation and controls managed by one team.

Practical Problem-Solving: A side-access gantry solution that avoided removing the roof.

Optimal Energy Efficiency: Magnetic bearing chiller technology and a BMS that controls new and existing plant together.

Client Impact

Modernised Central Plant: New chiller, pumps, cooling towers and air handling units in place of the old system.

Centralised Control: One upgraded BMS managing both new and retained equipment.

Minimised Disruption: A tailored access method that suited the building and the Club's operations.

Long-Term Partnership: The project continues a working relationship of more than ten years.

What the Client Says

“We’ve worked with Axis Align for over a decade on everything from major refurbishments to fast-response repairs. Craig and his team consistently deliver quality work, minimise downtime, and understand the operational pressures of hospitality. Their reliability, integrity, and hands-on expertise make them a trusted partner.”

Matt Gooden, Food & Beverage Operations, Dapto Leagues Club

Why Axis Align

This project reflects our brand pillars:

Customer-Centric Care: Work planned around the realities of running a hospitality venue.

Holistic-Solution Methodology: Chiller, cooling towers, pumps, air handling and BMS delivered as one system.

Optimal Energy Efficiency: Efficient chiller technology with integrated controls.

Proactive, not Reactive: Planned plant replacement before the old system became a reliability problem.

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