Powerhouse Parramatta

I'm supporting this project with the hope that Willow Grove, a unique building in the middle of the Parramatta CBD, will be saved in some way and some how that people can visit and experience the building of another age.

It would be great if the building was disassembed and moved to Parramatta Park for use for public or private events.

I like the Powerhouse as a venue but I have no idea what the museum is supposed to represent. It's not a natural museum, science and technology museum, it's not Tasmania's MOMA, NZ's Te Papa or the Guggenheim in NY.

I'm mindful of the loss of carparks in Parramatta and the over flow effect on the surrounding area for people already working in Parramatta.

Will there be a meeting place set aside for the new museum for indigenous people?

Please find my attached file - Powerhouse Submission

See attached.

See attachment for Powerhouse Parramatta objection

I am writing today to voice my complete and total objection to the proposed Powerhouse Parramatta site.
It is unacceptable that the proposed site requires the demolition of heritage sites Willow Grove and St George's Terrace. Frankly it is ludicrous to destroy heritage for a museum - what a complete contradiction in terms as the purpose of museums is to celebrate and retain knowledge and insights from our past!
Further, as we saw at the beginning of this year, the site is completely unsuitable due to risk of Parramatta River floods.
For these two reasons alone it makes logical sense to chose another location in Parramatta.

To: Mr Marcus Jennejohn - Planning NSW
I object strongly to the current Powerhouse Proposal on the following grounds:
1. The current proposal is totally flawed and problematic given the existential threat of flooding which will impact/restrict the planning/safety/threat to space for exhibits on the site.
2. The current design is aesthetically without merit - there is absolutely no architectural merit given the riverside setting and what it could be.
3. The demolition of Willow Grove (State Heritage listed - which seems meaningless in this context) and the St George Terrace facades, is an absolute tragedy - Willow Grove etc must be incorporated in the final design. It is a pity that the NSW State Government did not insist that these two elements had to be mandated as central to the design.
4. The notion of "Museum"in this plan, is anathema - it is nothing but an extension of Eat Street, private enterprise on steroids - there is inadequate exhibition space - or spaces for local "creatives" and, especially the MAAS collection at Castle Hill which has not seen the light of day for many years. This collection must be accommodated here.
Finally - it is a good move to leave the current MAAS in the city.
Yours faithfully

I object strongly to the Powerhouse Parramatta project in its present design.
While Parramatta really needs a ‘first-class’ museum the idea of demolishing an important part of Parramatta’s history, especially Willow Grove, to achieve that aim is inconceivable.
Also, the location. There are other areas outside the CBD which would suit better and be more accessible, especially for young people with prams, older people and those with less mobility who would all find travelling in their own vehicle more enjoyable. But with your proposed location there is no proposed car parking area to replace the one you intend to demolish.
As a tour operator in Parramatta, people requesting my tours or to act as a tour guide on their coaches, all want to hear and especially see the historical buildings of the Parramatta area. I have never had anyone ask that I focus on new developments, in fact when passing the Bankwest Stadium, I get so many negative comments re its appearance, the most common being ‘What’s that ugly structure”! Drive past Willow Grove and the comments are ‘What a delightful old building set in its lovely garden setting’.
The name in itself I feel is inappropriate as ‘Powerhouse’ has no significance to Parramatta, unlike at Ultimo where it echoes the former site use.
My family have lived in the same house in Parramatta since 1911, with a member of my family being born at Willow Grove, and as a long-time resident I am proud of the historical importance of Parramatta and that we have the only three existing buildings still standing in Australia that were built in the 1790s plus a variety of other early structures, but sadly with your Parramatta Powerhouse proposal more of our history will disappear.
I don’t want to see a few pieces of Willow Grove on display in the proposed Parramatta Powerhouse or have to show people on my tours photos of another wonderful old building that has been demolished by the Government. Surely there are architects who are capable of designing a structure that would encompass Willow Grove, with it as the centrepiece. Open a café there. Let people see the wonderful joinery inside the building. Let people enjoy sitting in the gardens, which would be an oasis among the high rise.
As a voter for a Government that hopefully would listen to the people, not one who would destroy our living history and not listen to the voices of so many, I sincerely hope that you reconsider your proposed Parramatta Powerhouse development.

I object to the Powerhouse Parramatta project if WillowGrove and St Georges Terrace are to be demolished.
I support the Powerhouse Parramatta project if WillowGrove and St Georges Terrace are retained and used within the project.
The Powerhouse Museum is about retaining and displaying items of heritage. It seems inconceivable that you demolish heritage to display heritage. When heritage is destroyed it is gone forever.
Think of the beautiful heritage buildings at Homebush Abattoir. I worked in the main building on a contract for about a year many years before the Olympics. These buildings were retained and incorporated in the Olympic facilities.
Come on. You have done it before. You can do it again.
Now.
Public statements say the environmental impact assessment says the benefits of the new Powerhouse Museum outweigh the loss of heritage.
Maybe in the minds of the authors.
There will be plenty of people like me who will vehemently disagree with that position and will be able to demonstrate the continuing loss of heritage far outweighs the benefit of a new Powerhouse Museum that most people don't want, or don't want in the current location.
How do they justify their conclusion?
We are like many other Parramatta area residents. We pay our taxes but can never get heard.

I object to the Powerhouse Parramatta Project as the proposed demolition of Willow Grove and St Georges Terraces are important buildings for their historical and heritage values and there is no valid reason they should be demolished. The site offers sufficient scope to include these historic buildings which would retain some of the very rich history of Parramatta. These buildings are rare examples of architecture that no longer exist in the Parramatta CBD and it is paramount these should be retained for this reason.
Many of us have been lucky to visit cities overseas and the desire to preserve and retain as much of their history is evident in the beautiful buildings and historical artifacts everywhere. On the other hand our obsession here in Australia appears to knock down as much of our history as we can and when there is none left we will look back and realise how stupid were we. Sorry too late once it's gone you can't get it back. So save these buildings now.

I object to the Powerhouse Museum Parramatta because the destruction of heritage properties (Willow Grove & The George Street Terraces) are a willful loss of our past history. The need to demolish beautiful old buildings in this country and especially in a City as old as Parramatta is a sacriledge.

The Powerhouse museum Parramatta will also not be a prime example of what a MUSEUM is meant to hold and exhibit to it's full potential,the storing of artifacts is also a crime against history.

I object in the strongest way to the Powerhouse Parramatta Project.

My European ancestors arrived as convicts and settled in Parramatta and surrounding areas. Some were married in St Johns Church and are buried in St John’s Cemetery. My father also attended secondary school in Parramatta in the 1950s. I have worked at Westmead since 1996 and when I go to Parramatta I feel a real connection with the heritage buildings. I think of my ancestors and it’s satisfying to know that I am seeing the same buildings that they saw over a hundred years earlier. Parramatta has some beautiful buildings and these add to character of the city. When I travel, the most beautiful and memorable cities in the world have maintained their heritage buildings. Paris, London, Rome, Ieper(Ypres), Split, Dubrovnik, New York, the list is endless. They have kept that link to the past and still manage to function as 21st century cities. I believe that Parramatta can do the same. It would be diabolical to demolish Willow Grove and St Georges Terrace. I simply do not believe that there is not a single architect out there that cannot manage to incorporate these 2 structures into an innovative design. What an absolute disgrace. How often have we lamented the loss of stunning older buildings in our cities. Once gone, never to be replaced. If it wasn’t for the green bans in the past we would’ve lost much more of the unique building in the Sydney CBD.
The NSW Government is treating the residents of Western Sydney as second class citizens. No one believes that this is a great outcome for Parramatta. It is not. The planned development is a shadow of a museum, so much so that it doesn't even have "museum" in the title ! The government is giving wth one hand and taking with the other. The result is a deficit for the community no matter how hard you try to sell it. Stop trying to con the public. The people making these decisions don’t care about the city, they don’t care about the heritage, they just care about money. As a taxpayer I am outraged that my tax dollars are being wasted this way.
Willow Grove is an oasis within Parramatta. It is a significant building, as are the St George's Terrace buildings.
Please save them.
Regards
Catherine Kennedy

Hi Glenn Turner here I can’t believe I’m even having to write this email trying to save a historical building from the bulldozer you people are there to protect our history we don’t have much left so do your job and stop the pulling down our history
I live in Victoria now but grew up in Parramatta learning of Importance of the Parramatta gave to growth to our Nation
anyway I hope you stop this madness
Glenn Turner
Orbost Victoria

I OBJECT to the Powerhouse Parramatta Project. I have not made any reportable political donations.

I am quite happy for Parramatta to have a museum but not to moving the Powerhouse from Ultimo. Each area should have its own museum.

I object to, and cannot understand why:
1. the new museum is planned to be built-in a site prone to flooding
2. the new museum seems to focus on being an entertainment centre rather than a state of the art museum
3. why the Powerhouse Ultimo is being closed and it collections broken apart.

Further, I do not understand why the plan for a new museum includes the destruction of our history:
1. the important Willow Grove
2. the St Georges Terraces
Already history of Parramatta has been destroyed in the name of progress.

Willow Grove and St Georges Terraces are rare examples of architecture that no longer exist in Parramatta CBD and should be retained.
I love going to Europe and seeing the respect most countries there have for their past. I love going to Asia and seeing the beautiful examples of traditional and colonial architecture restored there.
If the NSW Government is interested in making money from tourism and from engendering local identity and pride, it must keep the remaining examples of historical architecture not only in Parramatta but throughout the State.

Paulette Kay

We object to the project Powerhouse Museum Parramatta and the destruction of the Heritage listed buildings in Parramatta.

Four years ago the NSW Government announced that Sydney's unique Powerhouse Museum would be moved 23 km west to Parramatta.
This deeply unpopular decision has been universally condemned by the NSW community, by a 2-year Upper House Inquiry and by museum specialists worldwide.
We ask the Government to redirect the estimated $1.5 billion cost of the project to not only further aid bushfire and drought victims in regional areas but to leave the Museum where it is in Ultimo.
At the time of pandemic, the decision to build an unpopular replacement Powerhouse museum on a flood plain in Parramatta which destroys a heritage listed area is not only ludicrous but disrespects the NSW public and experts who have spoken against this project from its inception in 2014.

We object to the Powerhouse museum project.

The Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the “Powerhouse Parramatta" project, currently on display, reveals numerous fatal flaws. Some of these are –
SPACE
- the project is now completely different from what was approved by Cabinet in 2018
- not a single space in either of the two buildings is specifically dedicated to museum exhibitions or the collection.
- the total public “presentation” space has shrunk from an initially stipulated 18,000m2 to 12,000m2 (compared with 21,400m2 in Ultimo), with a massive increase in commercial space. Every so-called presentation space is available for commercial hire, and designed to facilitate events and performances.
-there is only 25% of the climate controlled exhibition space that the Powerhouse has in Ultimo.
- no way has been identified for moving precious large objects into the building(s)
- there is no storage space for (any of) the collection
See Museum Expert Kylie Winkworth analysis http://tiny.cc/c0d6qz for details
COSTS
Project costs have blown out from $200M (2015) to $1.4 billion - $1.8 billion (and rising!) http://tiny.cc/67d6qz
- the building cost alone is now approaching $1 billion
- unbudgeted future project costs include
- creation of storage space at Castle Hill because the “Milk Crates” cannot accommodate the Powerhouse’s unique large objects.
- the Ultimo precinct.
- the Parramatta River bridge.
- the whole collection move.
- marketing, exhibition design/installation, public relations.
- staff acquisition and training.
- conservation and restoration of objects for both move and display purposes.
BAD PLANNING
The proposed structure is NOT a recognisable museum, CAN’T operate as a museum, and it would be impossibly costly if this were attempted because
- the flood amelioration budget has been cut, increasing risks for contents and for visitors.
- almost entire loss of functional office space for staff, of back-of house working space and adequate “vertical transportation” (lifts and escalators) for visitors, staff and materials.
- a single loading dock (down from two) for all commercial and cleaning activities will destroy the high sanitation standards required by museological functions.
The dock must serve two buildings, events for up to 10,000 people, 10 cafes and bars, a retail hall, 40 apartments, a school boarding house, the bump in bump out for concerts, a cinema, conferences and commercial hire, museum objects on hire rotation and international travelling exhibitions, along with food waste, laundry and rubbish...
There is not one parking space, and not even a loading zone.
In summary, this proposal is a sick joke and an insult to both Parramatta and Inner Sydney. It’s NOT A MUSEUM - not even the “museum” initially promised.

Please withhold my personal information from the submission prior to it being uploaded.

I wrote this submission as a consumer. I have visited museums all my life and taken my children and grandchildren. I have lived in the western, eastern and southern suburbs of Sydney and now live in regional NSW, so I have no bias against Parramatta.,

To whom it may concern,

Please find attached a submission in support of the project from Dyldam Developments.

Dear Sir,

I object to the Powerhouse Parramatta project in its entirety on the following grounds:

1. The wanton destruction of existing heritage in Willowgrove and the St. Georges Terraces to accommodate a flawed concept of a ‘museum’ is short sighted in the extreme. Given Parramatta’s founding as the second most important town after Sydney it is inconceivable that the small number of historic buildings left in the CBD should be further reduced.
2. The placement of the proposed ‘museum’ on the river is a disaster waiting to happen. Having lived on the river near Queen’s Wharf during flood events and seeing the extent of flooding to the then David Jones car park, the underpass at the Gasworks bridge and the overflow onto the far end of George St it beggars belief that the prized collection of the Powerhouse should be subjected to this monumental hazard.
3. Transport. Has anyone driven down Phillip St recently? Or Church St? There is no space for endless coaches full of school children, if they come at all. Congestion will be an undeniable result of this ludicrous proposal, leading to possible adverse health outcomes for the residents, visitors and workers of the surrounding area.
4. The proposed ‘museum’ is nothing of the sort. It is nothing more than a commercial space with some interesting background displays. 40 apartments? A space convertible to a live theatre? A school dormitory? Since when does a purpose built ‘museum’ for the extolling of invention, the display of historic items, the education of the upcoming generations regress to a grubby excuse for commercial undertakings? When it is proposed as the ‘Parramatta Powerhouse’.
5. Apparently, the only ‘curating’ to be evidenced at the ‘museum’ is concerning food. $1.5 billion for curated food? An insult to the populace.
6. A reduction of international museum quality exhibition space to 25% of the current Powerhouse is another great insult to the people of Parramatta, the trained and conscientious custodians of our heritage and the people of NSW. Travel to Parramatta to see 75% less on display. Obviously getting less for more money is current government ideology.
7. The name itself is an abomination. It is very clear that the original Powerhouse is to be demolished, again for what can only be described as a stealing from the people of NSW and the handing over of the land asset to the rent seekers of the commercial world. The question will be asked…’Hey Mum, was there ever a powerhouse on the river?’ Any link between the original Powerhouse site and the new ‘museum’ is non-existent: it is only the name that is being transferred. The Berejiklian Government is overseeing an erasure of our own history. Makes the Philistines look cultured.
8. The dispersal of the Powerhouse collection is to be abhorred. The integrity of the current collection will be completely compromised with pieces being sent to disparate places. The ‘physical health’ of the pieces in the collection will be compromised where optimum qualities of humidity, air conditioning and lighting are minimal. Where might you send the Catalina?

The Berejiklian Government has demonstrated most elegantly that it cannot manage any large scale project for the ‘benefit of the people of NSW’. Light rail, anyone?

This current ‘museum’ proposal is no different and should be stopped now before we lose another great cultural institution to the uninformed pomposity and neo-liberal avarice of the elected.


For the record, I have not made any reportable political donations.

Yours sincerely

Phil Moore

Dear Sir,

I object to the Powerhouse Parramatta project.
I have never made any reportable political donations.

Many years ago our family did a walking tour of Parramatta. We had just moved to the area. We were astounded by the rich history and hidden gems of this city. These gems included Willowgrove and St Georges Terraces.

These sites rival others we have seen around the world in the US, Europe, UK and India.
Australia’s history is so new compared to these other countries yet these countries revere their history, promote them, fund them and repair them if necessary.

The proposed Powerhouse Parramatta project I object to strongly for the following reasons:
- it requires the demolition of these Heritage buildings
- the flood risk to the museum if built is large and there are many reports of that risk
- the wonderful 1785 Boulton & Watt steam engine (one of the pride and joys of the current Powerhouse) is at risk of not being relocated and displayed due to it’s size and weight
- the proposed project will require a large number of our historical treasures to be allocated to storage and occasionally dusted off for display and re-location at on-going great cost.

Where is the vision? The Powerhouse Parramatta should be away from the river - of dedicated Smithsonian proportions - displaying the entire collection of our history not just bits and pieces. That would be something we could all feel proud of and be a legacy for our children.

By all means build a smaller cultural centre on the proposed site that integrates Willowgrove and St Georges Terraces. Something that makes that area vibrant but still respects our colonial history.

Integrate this area too with an expansion of the Indigenous history of the area as started along the river walk.

Yours sincerely,
Rosemary Mackie

I hope this email finds you well.

I am writing this email to inform you that I strongly object to the demolition of the existing Willow Grove heritage building currently located at 34 Phillip Street, Parramatta. Whilst I believe Parramatta and Western Sydney in general are well deserving of a cultural precinct such as the proposed Powerhouse Museum, I am strongly against the destruction and erasing of the existing cultural heritage site that is Willow Grove.

I believe that Parramatta continues to lose much of its architectural fabric and social history because of the extravagant development springing up all over the cbd! Many cities around the world particularly within the CBD or downtown centre have creatively found ways to hang onto these sites. I don't believe the Environmental Impact Statement has fairly addressed the publics concerns. Parramatta is not to be sold, or trampled upon by hungry and hefty developers. I understand this is a State Significant Development, although I don't believe the State has been mindful of the publics concerns. Why can't the building be moved onto a completely different site. Willow Grove is a priceless relic of the past and one that must be protected and preserved.

I am all for change, and growth and yes Parramattas prosperity! Although I believe this particular development is too large of a compromise for me to remain quiet about. I look forward to hear your acknowledgement that you have read and received my email and also outline some of the considerations currenlty made to protect Parramatta's heritage sites.

Kind regards,
Joseph Gittany