Powerhouse Parramatta

I object to the Powerhouse Parramatta Project on several grounds.

It does not seem logical nor good use of Government funds to spend $1.5 billion to move a museum, when half of these costs are going into relocation of exhibits, storage for years while Parramatta is built and flood mitigation of the unsuitable site, when for less than half this budget Parramatta could have a purpose built museum.

It is possible to build a new museum for Parramatta and keep the Powerhouse at Ultimo which could be art, history and technical. It could utilise many of the exhibits housed at CastleHill and those in storage at the Art Gallery and other museums as well as new purchases or donations. .

The Smithsonian Museum in Washington USA, one of the world's greatest, has 19 separate locations. There is no reason why we cannot aspire to something similar without dismantling what we have.

Please note that I have not made any reportable political donations.

I object to the Powerhouse Parramatta Project.

The historic Willow Grove and St George’s terraces must be retained for future generations. Willow Grove is a much loved and important heritage building.

To propose destroying these heritage buildings is a disgrace. This proposed demolition makes a mockery of the planning controls around heritage listed buildings in the Parramatta precinct. People go to Parramatta in droves to see these splendid heritage buildings!

I wish to lodge an objection to the Parramatta Powerhouse Project in its current form.

Specifically the demolition of the existing house Willow Grove to make way for the proposed museum.

I have no objection to the proposal of Parramatta acquiring the Powerhouse Museum and I live very close to the current Powerhouse.

My main objection is the requirement that a heritage house has to be demolished to take in the proposed design.

Parramatta ( the second European settlement in Australia) has over time lost much of its early European heritage and to lose another fine example is extraordinarily short sighted.

After all the Powerhouse Museum is about our history but industrial and social.

I think many objections would fade away if Willow Grove was included in the final design.

Please consider the retaining of heritage items for a Museum in the business of showcasing our heritage.

I object to the Powerhouse Parramatta project

As a Sydneysider for many years, I cannot accept the fact that the State Government has decided to relocate such an important Sydney landmark...and at the expense of some existing heritage.... The Powerhouse Museum is part of Sydney culture from it's early days as the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences....Surely this move is fed by greed due to it's very valuable location... Surely the museum has so many artifacts in archive that this city could host two such museums... why not build the Parramatta project to house and display all the things that can only be brought out for special exhibitions...

I know this will fall on deaf ears, but I feel so incensed by this whole project that I have to voice my opinion...

I wish to object to the Powerhouse Parramatta Project. It is a waste of money and a destruction of historical and significant artefacts and buildings simply to gratify the NSW Government’s need to supply developers with more and more city land to build on. There are enough items within the Powerhouse archives to create more museums of significance to NSW without destroying the Ultimo Powerhouse. If the NSW Government has 1.5 billion dollars to undertake a hugely unpopular and destructive project when they are complaining about lack of funds and a hole in the budget, then I hope they have the same sort of funds to spend on other projects that would actually benefit the state. Unfortunately the current NSW government has no respect for the State’s history. It is simply intent on the destruction of anything and everything that will fill its coffers with money. Where is the foresight for future generations? Shame on Gladys Berejiklian and her government. Who the hell is going to go to Parramatta? Certainly not tourists when they only have two or three days in Sydney. And the extra costs and time for school groups to get to Parramatta will stop any excursions. This is a disgrace and a misuse of power. You were elected to serve the people of NSW not bow down before developers and the high end of town. Let’s hope this isn’t a pocket liner for the Premier and her cohorts and the promise of the Ultimo site was not part of any back room deal.

I object to the plan for the Powerhouse at Parramatta for the folowing reasons.
. The destruction of heritage properties including Willowgrove. Parramatta as the second earliest British settlement in Australia has an opportunity to present its historical sites as a complete group for visitors and researchers. Provided it does not continue to destroy them for this development.

. The proposal for a museum in Parramatta is a good one and could be included in the above mentioned heritage group. However the present plan in a flood prone area will not provide a home for the precious objects being moved from Sydney. It appears not to have sufficient space to house such items as the Watt steam engine which is unique in the world.

. The removal of one museum in the city to create a less suitable one in Parramatta is a reprehensible destruction for little gain.

.The cost could be used in a more appropriate way.

Please think again and stop this destruction.

I am not a member or contributor to a political party. I am merely a concerned citizen who loves this city.

I object to the Powerhouse Parramatta project!

I have been following the development of the Powerhouse at Parramatta closely. I am very concerned that we are losing another chunk of our past with the demolition of Willow Grove and St Georges Terraces. These buildings are an important link to what Parramatta is.

I grew up in Parramatta and went to the local schools, shopped in our beautiful Church st precinct and always feel part of the city. A lot has changed since the 80's / 90's when I was young but I feel we must preserve these buildings so future generations can enjoy them as much as I did. There just isn't enough of our heritage buildings left and we must keep what we still have. The new development is just that. Another new building that lacks a heart surrounded by other bland developments.

I may not live in Parramatta anymore but my family and my roots are firmly based there.

Please consider my objection when making the decision.

I object To the Powerhouse Parramatta Project.

I am writing in relation to this project to formerly raise my objections. I have not made any reportable political donations and I do not have an objection to having my name published with my submission.

I was extremely distressed to hear the beautiful buildings Willow Grove and St Georges Terraces may be demolished to make way for a new development. REGARDLESS of the proposed use of the new building, it is completely UNACCEPTABLE that we should allow Willow Grove and St Georges Terraces to be destroyed.

I have wonderful memories of visiting Parramatta as a child and was amazed at Willow Grove and other historic buildings my family and I visited, many of which are no longer standing. I was fortunate to grow up in a family where my parents encouraged exploration and showing respect for history. There were a lot of historical buildings in the Parramatta area when I was growing up and many of them are no longer there. I find it very sad to visit Parramatta these days.

It is UNREASONABLE to destroy these historic buildings and add to the chaos of modern buildings and traffic that is Parramatta today. It should remain to provide an oasis of character and a symbol of respect to the significant history that Parramatta contributed to the overall development of Sydney and its suburbs.

I am strongly of the view that the loss of character and these buildings as a sense of place, has NOT been adequately studied and reported on in the Environmental Impact Statement. Willow Grove had an important function as a maternity hospital for over 30 years, and would have significance to many people. This should not be ignored or trivialised.

Parramatta has suffered significant heritage destruction and it is just WRONG to continue. Willow Grove and St Georges Terraces are vital and rare examples of architecture that no longer exist and MUST be retained for communities’ sense of place and to show that we not only respect, but can learn from the past.

Please DO NOT let this history be destroyed.

It’s a waste of public money moving the powerhouse. The loss of heritage at parramatta is also unacceptable.

The proposed location for a replacement Powerhouse Museum in Parramatta is inappropriate.

Heritage structures Willow Grove and St George's Terrace must be destroyed to construct this building, which is located on a known floodplain.

The proposed museum is insufficient to house the Powerhouse Museum collection. It has only 25% of the display area available in the Ultimo Powerhouse Museum. It will not have space for the large exhibits nor any facilities for conservation of the exhibits.

The proposed $1.5billion cost is untenable. The State of NSW has much more pressing priorities such as unfulfilled promises for aid to NSW residents affected by the 2019-2020 bushfires.

The Powerhouse Museum would not loan exhibits to a museum with the limited facilities proposed for Parramatta.

If a museum is to be built in Parramatta, there is state owned land available in North Parramatta which does not require the demolition of heritage buildings.

This is an ill-considered plan and must be abandoned.

Regards

Brian Stokes

RE: I object to the Powerhouse Parramatta Project– Application number SSD-10416

I object to the Powerhouse Parramatta development on two grounds: i. it includes the demolition of heritage buildings and ii. the proposed development is inadequate to replace the current Powerhouse Museum in Ultimo.

The demolition of heritage buildings
These heritage buildings provide evidence of the way people lived in the 19th century in Parramatta and give people the opportunity to observe changes in society and infrastructure. In particular, these buildings can provide real-life learning experiences to facilitate an understanding of the area’s history. The demolition of Willow Grove (c.1870s) and St Georges Terrace (c.1880s) is inconsistent with Parramatta City Council’s Cultural Plan. Developed in 2017, the plan recognises the importance of understanding Parramatta’s history as follows:
Parramatta occupies a vital role in our nation’s history. As the first seat of government, our built environment features some of the [sic] Australia’s most important colonial buildings, peppered throughout our City’s changing landscape. More than the architecture, these heritage assets tell a story of the past and help us better understand our future.[1]

The inclusion of both Willow Grove and St George’s Terrace on the State Heritage Register recognises that they are of “particular importance to the people of NSW”.[2] In addition to both buildings being representative examples of heritage, item details for Willow Grove state that the site has “high archaeological potential” as “the site grounds may contain archaeological material relating to European settlement prior to the construction of ‘Willow Grove”.[3] Furthermore, both listings also state that the property is of significance for the local area due to research potential.[4]

Inadequate replacement for the Powerhouse Museum in Ultimo
Any argument that the cultural contribution that the Powerhouse Parramatta would make to Western Sydney outweighs the destruction of these heritage buildings is patently false. The Powerhouse Parramatta design does not equate to a science museum, which was the concept endorsed by cabinet in 2018.

The Museum of Applied Arts and Science’s “Vision” includes the following statement:
Access to the Museum’s exceptional collection is a cornerstone of the vision, opening up opportunities for engagement, participation and research.[5]
This vision is not at all supported by this development because it does not place an importance on accommodating and exhibiting the current Powerhouse Museum’s collection. Most significantly, the Powerhouse Parramatta is to have less than one quarter of the current museum's Standard Climate Controlled Exhibition Space; approximately 5,200sqm compared with the current Powerhouse Museum’s 21,800sqm. Furthermore, there are no museum-specific exhibition spaces in the development plans. The idea that every “presentation space” could be used for performances, events, functions and commercial hire is not consistent with the way that museums operate.

On WSFM on Thursday 25 June 2020 the Premier of NSW, Glady Berejiklian stated that the Powerhouse Parramatta will serve the one third of NSW residents who live in Western Sydney and she also emphasised that “we don’t see 90% of the Powerhouse Museum’s collection because it’s in storage”. Neither of these requirements is actually met by the Powerhouse Parramatta Project. Firstly, the destruction of heritage buildings ignores the express wishes of the community to have these buildings preserved. Secondly, the proposed Parramatta Powerhouse would not be capable of exhibiting a worthwhile proportion of the Powerhouse Museum’s collection as the proposed museum provides only one quarter of the current exhibition space and makes no provision for the large items such as the steam engines or the locomotive.

I declare that I have not made any reportable political donations. I request that my name is not published with this submission.

I object to the Powerhouse Parramatta project.

The reasons behind my objection is as follows:
• Removing historical buildings is an irreversible and tremendous loss of historical sense of place and Willow Grove and St Georges Terraces are rare examples of architecture that no longer exist in Parramatta CBD and should be retained for future generations as a link and connection to history for the local community, the wider community and Australia. If this act were to go ahead, his act is in essence an act of cultural vandalism and Australia will be poor for it.
• The character and history of Parramatta is a very important issue to raise as this has not been adequately studied and reported on in the Environmental Impact Statement.
• The importance of Willow Grove to women’s history as a maternity hospital for over three decades for people of Parramatta to the early 1950s should be retained for future generations to experience and see.
• Overall cumulative impacts of further heritage destruction in Parramatta currently been undertaken, make Willow Grove and St Georges Terraces vital to retain for communities' sense of place.

I have not made any reportable political donations
I wish for my name to be published with your submission.

I wish to object to the Powerhouse Parramatta Project.

I have not made any political contributions and I wish to request that my name be withheld in publishing this submission.

My family and I have lived in the Parramatta/Hills area for over 40 years, with my mother being raised in Parramatta. I have very fond memories of time as a child staying in my maternal grandparents home in Rosehill St, a small beautiful home built in the early 1900s. My grandmother would often speak of Willow Grove, and how she visited many of her friends when it was a maternity hospital.

Sadly, buildings of this significance have been destroyed and replaced over the years. We cannot let that happen to Willow Grove, it stands out as a superb piece of architecture that has been significant over many generations in Parramatta and beyond.

I am disappointed and distressed that the destruction of such heritage buildings is being considered in this proposal. Therefore I strongly object to the Parramatta Powerhouse proposal.

Stop Taking a Wrecking ball to Sydney Heritage: Cancel Demolition of the Ultimo Powerhouse Museum (MAAS)

Pause your wrecking ball poised to smash down a valuable heritage cultural institution. The Powerhouse Museum (MAAS) in Ultimo.

The threatened area of this award-winning heritage building, now museum venue, includes the turbine hall, the engine house and the boiler hall.
The museum hosts a collection unmatched anywhere in the southern hemisphere, a collection which has made the Powerhouse a unique attraction for generations of families. It drew a record 757,156 visitors in the last financial year.

No government anywhere in the world has ever demolished a major state museum in the city centre less than 30 years after it opened in state-of-the-art facilities. It’s unprecedented governmental interference in a cultural institution.

The decision to proceed flies in the face of growing public opposition. 98.6% of people surveyed by the National Trust in May are overwhelmingly against the Government’s plan, saying that the Powerhouse and its entire collection should stay in Ultimo.

The Government is also acting in defiance of last year’s report from the Upper House Inquiry into Museums and Galleries, and of damning evidence it heard from expert witnesses.
The bulk of submissions to the Upper House Inquiry are overwhelmingly against the plan. They include detailed objections from professional bodies and community groups, among them Pyrmont Action Incorporated, Save the Powerhouse, Engineers Australia (Sydney), the Australian Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Materials, the Australian Museums and Galleries Association, the International Council of Museums Australia and the Royal Australian Historical Society.

None of the objectors wishes to see Western Sydney deprived of cultural facilities. On the contrary, they want a more appropriate new museum built there – something that could be achieved at less than half the cost.

What the Government proposes to install at Parramatta is not a museum at all. It’s an entertainment centre. Leading museum and heritage expert Kylie Winkworth, a former Powerhouse trustee, has exposed multiple flaws in the design brief for the new building.

She reveals that Parramatta will have only 25% of the Ultimo museum standard exhibition spaces, that it will have multiple entrances (a staffing and security nightmare), huge glass walls and open entrances (an air conditioning nightmare), no floors capable of supporting the large items from the collection, no conservation facilities, no adequate loading dock, a much reduced library and no secure working place for staff. The only mentions in the whole document of curatorship are references to a “curated food program”.

Winkworth, says that “completely ignores the basic principles of museum planning”. And then, of course, there’s the well-documented risk of flooding from the Parramatta River – a disaster waiting to happen.

Art critic John McDonald has stated “If and when the new building is finished Parramatta will have a gigantic white elephant that has zero possibility of drawing long-term audiences and covering costs. To achieve this the government will have irretrievably vandalised a major Australian museum and wiped out another precious piece of heritage in a city already disfigured by architectural eyesores.”

With a completely unnecessary demolition about to commence, and a government inquiry still underway, the heritage core of the museum is about to be demolished.
AS current Minister for the Arts and for Heritage I write to you to demand that you stop taking a wrecking ball to Sydney heritage. It is an ill-advised, disastrous budget blow-out, with little to no solid planning and it is simply yet another shameless cash grab by a rightist elitist Liberal government and their developer cronies that DESPISES culture and wants to destroy it not just state-wide, but Australia-wide. It is a disgusting lack of conscience, foresight and responsibility and you are CULTURAL VANDALS.

I object to this project in entirety.

STOP CLOSURE AND DEMOLITION OF THE ULTIMO POWERHOUSE MUSEUM.


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Thanks and Regards
Darian Zam

I object to the Powerhouse Parramatta Project (SSD-10416). Application O shows that there is too much of a risk of flooding in the new area and Application B disregards this advice recklessly. In addition, the proposed site cannot accommodate the exhibits the Museum currently holds; they cannot be moved without being dismantled, which leads to damage during transport and storage.

The PowerHouse musem in Pyrmont is a heritage site and should be preserved as a museum for all to enjoy.

As a person who had grown up living in Parramatta, I've learnt to appreciate the beauty of the suburb. Unfortunately, Parramatta was already lacking in historical culture and alike, with little character. As much as I support the development of the CBD there, I must oppose to the destruction and cost which will be a result of this project. Parramatta deserves to hold onto what little it has left, such as the Grove and this project does not allow for that. Furthermore, the proposed development on the riverside is somewhat alarming as it does seem to flood pretty often from what I recall. Additionally, I feel like this project is not in line with the rest of Parramatta and what it represents. Parramatta lost a lot already to the light rail project and I don't believe the locals or residents will support the further destruction of Parramatta's heritage and culture. Not to mention, the simultaneous destruction which will be occuring in the old Powerhouse site.

The powerhouse has great meaning to all who have grown up in Sydney and visited. It represents heritage, culture and progressive science at the same time. There is nowhere in Sydney that also provides a similar experience. The move of the Powerhouse from the current location to the new location seemingly jeopardises the exhibits, which are key to the museum. The museum is important because of what it embodies and displays. Not the external appearance of it and looking all modern and posh.

I personally don't know anybody who supports this move, from the perspective of a person who lives in Parramatta or from the perspective of a museum visitor. This project will be forever an embarrassment to the history of Parramatta and for all of Sydney. A major international city with no adequate science museum located in the CBD. Personally, I strongly object to this and everyone I know does too. The fundamentals of this project seem flawed and the motives are highly questionable at best.

I really hope you reconsider.
Sincerely,
Someone who grew up in Parramatta

The proposed destruction of the existing Powerhouse Museum and the scattering of its contents to create a new museum at Parramatta is a disgrace. It is not necessary to destroy one to create the other. Building a new museum at Parramatta is an excellent idea, but does not need to be at the expense of the Powerhouse. Both are needed. The creation of jobs will occur regardless. The cost of removal will be enormous in dollar terms, but even more so in conservation and heritage terms. The museum in its present form is a priceless resource for the city and for NSW and forms part of the vibrant manufacturing history of Sydney. The destruction of heritage buildings in Parramatta to house a new museum would also be an outrage. The NSW government should build a new museum in Parramatta in a more suitable location providing the growth in jobs needed and another important cultural resource for the community. The Powerhouse should stay where it is, conserving and displaying its wonderful collection into the future. It s not too late to reverse this dreadful decision. The only benefit seems to be for any developers wanting to get their hands on valuable Ultimo real estate. The Premier has backed this proposal with unexplained enthusiasm. It makes no sense, it never has, and it should be reversed!

Mark Griffiths
171 Alt Street
Haberfield 2045
Phone: 0418 621 920
Email:
[email protected]

Date: 30 June 2020

Re the proposed translocation of the Powerhouse Museum to Parramatta


Dear Sir/Madame

I wish to protest most strongly against the NSW Government’s plan to close the Powerhouse Museum at Ultimo.

The Powerhouse Museum is a magnificent example of the re-purposing of a heritage listed building. Being part of the industrial heritage of NSW it is ideally suited both in structure and its historical significance to be the home of a museum of our state’s technological history.

There has been a shameful lack of consultation around the move of the museum to a site at Parramatta that is questionable both because of flood safety and the need to destroy historic buildings. I grew up in the Parramatta area and I strongly support the idea of a cultural/museum project for the district. However I cannot imagine a less appropriate plan than the one being proposed.

The scant information made available about this plan would indicate that the current museum’s collection will be scattered with experts even indicating that some of the collection will not survive. The proposed facility at Parramatta does not even appear to be a replacement for the Powerhouse but more of a cultural/convention centre. This is cultural vandalism. It shows an extraordinary lack of respect for the culture and history of both NSW and Australia. Museum experts and historians are being ignored and it is completely unclear why the State Government is pressing ahead with this patently flawed plan. Surveys also indicate that there is little public support for the plan although many people feel as I do, that a new cultural centre at Parramatta is a worthy idea and should be promoted.

It has been claimed in the media that the motive behind the move from the Ultimo site, is the value of the real estate. Personally, in view of the lack of information from Government justifying the move, I suspect this could be true. What a sad statement about the current Government and their respect for our history.

I visited the Powerhouse Museum this week and it was a distressing experience to feel that I was seeing the last of a great institution and its collections. It is not too late to change course and I believe the current government would be admired for listening to the community and having a change of mind.

Leave the Powerhouse Museum where it is and give the people of Western Sydney something they can use and be proud of, including a world standard technological museum in Sydney at the Powerhouse.

Yours sincerely

Mark Griffiths

I am a retired teacher of History and Economics and am most distressed about the dismantling of the current Powerhouse in Ultimo and partial relocation to Parramatta, with accompanying destruction of heritage buildings there.