IRT Wollongong

Higgins Coatings - Coastal Retirement Living Repaint and Remedial Works

Project Overview

Higgins Coatings Wollongong partnered with Dulux Australia and IRT Group to deliver a large-scale exterior repaint and remedial works at IRT Harbourside and IRT Parkside.

Positioned just metres from the coastline, the building is constantly exposed to harsh marine conditions including salt spray, moisture and strong coastal winds. Higgins was engaged to restore and protect both properties with a high-performance coating solution designed to withstand Wollongong's demanding coastal environment while enhancing the overall appearance of the facility.

With residents remaining onsite throughout the project, maintaining a positive customer experience and minimising disruption was a key priority from planning through to delivery.

Services Delivered

Our Wollongong team delivered a comprehensive repaint and restoration across IRT Harbourside and Parkside, combining specialised access solutions with remedial building repairs and premium coating systems.

Full internal and exterior repaint of the buildings
High-performance Dulux specification coatings
Rope access painting and remedial works
Detailed surface preparation - render repairs and remediation
Timber rot repairs and treatment
Corroded steel guttering repairs
Water ingress remediation works

Challenges and Solutions

Operating within a live residential environment: Delivering large-scale repaint works within an occupied retirement living environment required careful planning, communication and flexibility. Our Wollongong team worked closely with residents, site management and stakeholders through regular weekly meetings, maintaining a strong feedback loop throughout the duration of the project. This proactive communication ensured works could progress safely and efficiently while maintaining a positive experience for residents.

Harsh coastal environment: Located only metres from the ocean, the buildings were experiencing ongoing deterioration caused by salt exposure, moisture ingress and coastal weather conditions. Our team identified and repaired multiple building defects contributing to water ingress, including cracked render, timber deterioration and corroded steel guttering. Once repairs were completed, premium Dulux coating systems were applied to provide long-term protection and durability against the challenging marine environment.

Minimising disruption: Traditional access methods would have significantly impacted resident access and daily operations. By leveraging Higgins’ specialised rope access capability, works were completed with minimal interruption to residents, avoiding the need for intrusive access through occupied units while maintaining clear access to key site areas.

Results and Impact

The completion of IRT Harbourside and Parkside has transformed the appearance and long-term protection of this prominent retirement living.

Through a combination of remedial expertise, specialised rope access capability and premium coating systems, Higgins delivered a durable, high-quality finish designed to withstand the harsh Australian coastal environment for years to come.

The project also highlights Higgins Coatings Wollongong’s ability to successfully deliver complex repaint and remedial works within live residential environments while prioritising customer experience, communication and operational continuity.

What our customer had to say

“Working with Higgins has been very professional and the communication has been great. Every effort was made by the Higgins team to minimise impact on the residents and community throughout the project. The finishing product is superb and brings everything back to life.”

- Eddie Tunyapun, Resident Relationship Manager

Watch the transformation