Client: Australian Public Service Commission (APSC)
Location: B Block, Treasury Building, Parkes Place West, Parkes ACT 2600
Project Type: Commercial Plumbing, Hydraulic Services Design & Construction
Project Overview
The Australian Public Service Commission (APSC) national office occupies B Block of the historic Treasury Building in Parkes, one of Canberra’s most prominent government precincts. When the APSC required an upgrade to accommodate additional fixtures within the existing building, Contemporary Plumbing was engaged to design and construct new hydraulic services from the ground up.
Working within an active government building environment demands a high level of planning, precision, and minimal disruption. This project required our team to carefully integrate new plumbing infrastructure into an established building, connecting new fixtures to existing water and drainage services without compromising the integrity of the structure or the day-to-day operations of the occupants.
Scope of Work
The project encompassed a full range of hydraulic services, including:
- Design and construction of new hydraulic services to accommodate additional fixtures throughout the building
- Connection to existing water and drainage services, requiring detailed assessment of the building’s current infrastructure before work commenced
- Concrete cutting and coring to route new supply and drainage lines through existing slabs and walls, a technically demanding process that requires precision to avoid structural impact
- Installation of new hot water systems and supply lines to service the upgraded facilities
- Refurbishment of existing bathrooms on-site, bringing them in line with current standards and the requirements of the upgrade
The Challenge of Plumbing in an Established Government Building
Retrofitting hydraulic services into an existing commercial building is significantly more complex than new construction. There are no open wall cavities or accessible chase spaces, so every new pipe run has to be carefully planned around existing structure, services, and finishes.
The concrete cutting and coring component of this project is a good example of that complexity. Cutting through reinforced concrete slabs requires specialist equipment and a methodical approach to ensure the work is completed cleanly, accurately, and safely. It also has to be sequenced correctly so that the broader project timeline isn’t affected.
Our team managed all of this while maintaining a clean, safe worksite within an operational government office environment, completing the project on time, within budget, and to the standard expected of a high-profile Commonwealth building.
Why This Project Matters for Commercial Clients
The APSC Treasury project is representative of the kind of commercial plumbing work Contemporary Plumbing regularly undertakes across Canberra’s government and corporate sector. It demonstrates our capability to:
- Take on design-and-construct hydraulic projects, not just installation work
- Operate within sensitive, occupied commercial environments
- Handle technically demanding elements like concrete cutting and coring in-house
- Deliver complex projects on schedule and within budget
If you manage a commercial building in Canberra and need a plumbing contractor with the experience to handle upgrades, fit-outs, or infrastructure improvements, contact our commercial plumbing team to discuss your project.
About Contemporary Plumbing’s Commercial Services
Contemporary Plumbing is a Canberra-based plumbing contractor with decades of experience across residential, commercial, and government projects throughout the ACT. Our commercial plumbing services include hydraulic design and construction, strata plumbing, TMV and backflow services, drainage dig-ups, and ongoing maintenance contracts. For another example of our government sector work, see our Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade project. You can also browse all of our completed commercial projects to see the full range of work we have delivered across the ACT.
