The client
Surfers Paradise Surf Club is a landmark venue on the Gold Coast, known for its beachfront location, high-volume hospitality, and strong connection to the local community. With thousands of guests moving through each week, the club depends on reliable infrastructure and trusted contractors to keep operations running smoothly – especially when expanding or upgrading.
Challenge
When Surfers Paradise Surf Club began work on a second commercial kitchen, timing was critical.
A major catering event was just around the corner, and the new kitchen needed to be installed, certified and operational in time for chefs to trial it ahead of the weekend.
The club engaged SimCon Construction to manage the full kitchen refurbishment. To carry out the gas installation – a high-pressure job with no room for error or downtime – SimCon brought in Oceania Plumbing.
This wasn’t a straightforward install. The job involved running 40 metres of copper pipe, liaising with multiple trades, and meeting all compliance obligations under AS 5601 – all while the original kitchen remained open and in full swing.
Not every gas plumber can deliver under those conditions. But Joe Currey, owner of Oceania Plumbing, brought something few others could: deep experience in commercial kitchen installations, combined with a personal background in hospitality.
“I understood, from being in hospitality, that if a restaurant has to shut down, the customer’s gone – they’re eating somewhere else,” said Currey. “So we planned the job to avoid any disruption. We didn’t affect the menu, the chefs, or the service. The business kept running, even on weekends.”
Solution
Oceania Plumbing tailored its approach around the Surf Club’s operating hours. All work was done outside of service – often late at night or early in the morning – to keep the restaurant trading without interruption.
“We worked after the restaurant was shut sometimes until 1 am to get the job done,” Currey explained. “That we didn’t disrupt the restaurant service at all. The restaurant was still continuously running, for sales, weekends, everything.”
The team also worked directly with kitchen staff to ensure the fit-out matched real-world functionality. That meant bringing the chef in during the planning stage of the appliance layout to ensure the best possible result.
“I brought the chef in, and he looked at the equipment – how he was going to use it, where he wanted things positioned: the fryers, the grill, the hot plate, the combi,” Currey said. “We worked together.”
The installation itself required full compliance with Australian Standards, including AS 5601. Oceania Plumbing coordinated with council inspectors to ensure the entire system met strict safety and regulatory requirements.
“Gas compliance is an integral part of commercial kitchen regulations. We always work to code. It covers things like pipe sizing, isolation valves, MJHR ratings, and many other things. Work must be compliant when it gets inspected to be signed off.
“I issue the gas compliance certification and the data plate. That goes to the Gas Council. The customer and the energy provider also get a certificate. I’m responsible for it until the next licensed gas fitter comes in and works on that system.”
Even unexpected site constraints – including a low-clearance car park where key pipework had to be run – were handled without delay.
“We had to work in a car park downstairs,” said Currey. “There were height restrictions – 2.1, 2.2 metres. So the pipework was above that because if a car had hit it, that could have created a very dangerous situation.”
One of the most critical requirements on this project was ensuring zero disruption to the Surf Club’s existing kitchen service. To achieve that, the Oceania Plumbing team carefully scheduled work outside trading hours – often late into the night – so that service could continue uninterrupted during the day.
“We had to make sure the existing kitchen could keep running. So we worked around it – after-hours, overnight – whatever it took to avoid any shutdown.”
Results
Despite time pressure and access limitations, Oceania Plumbing delivered the job on time and without disruption. The kitchen was certified, connected and commissioned ahead of the Surf Club’s high-capacity weekend event, allowing the chefs to trial equipment and prepare for service.
“The club had a big function coming up and they wanted to use the new kitchen,” said Currey. “So we were given a timeline to get it finished. We worked out of hours – sometimes until 1 am – so they could fire up the kitchen and start cooking.”
The installation was also technically complex. Every part of the system had to be calculated, fitted and tested to ensure safe operation under full load.
“This was pipe-sized from start to finish,” Currey explained. “We worked out the megajoule rating of each appliance, the pipe lengths, the size of the meter, the pressure, so that when everything’s running at once, there’s enough gas at every fixture point. If you get the pipe sizing or pressure wrong, it can affect how the appliances run – and that’s unsafe.”
Impact
The new kitchen immediately improved workflow at the Surf Club. With major appliances now on the upper level, staff no longer need to move between floors during service – a critical change for a venue that handles high volumes every day.
“The new kitchen layout involves less distance you have to travel for producing food,” said Currey. “Before, they were going downstairs to use certain equipment. Now, it’s all upstairs, just off the terrace bar.”
The venue plans to refurbish the downstairs kitchen next – a project Oceania Plumbing is ready to support when the time comes.
“I enjoy working with iconic Gold Coast restaurants and hotels. And it’s not just about the work itself. I know the busier the restaurant is, the more local people are employed. And that’s helping the whole community.”
