Powerhouse may stay put in Ultimo after backlash

Powerhouse may stay put in Ultimo after backlash
Image: The landmark Powerhouse Museum in Ultimo. Credit: Wikimedia Commons

BY SERKAN OZTURK

A community-led push to keep the Powerhouse Museum where it currently sits in the inner-city may just be working with the NSW Government now strongly considering backing down on its original proposal to move the entire museum to Western Sydney.

The concessions come as Arts Minister, Don Harwin, announced the government was still intent on building a new museum in Parramatta by 2022 but that its construction could mean “keeping some Powerhouse presence at the current site in Ultimo”.

Mr Harwin said the government would soon be seeking public input on its plans for the new museum and how it may affect the current Powerhouse site before a final business plan on the proposal was released later this year.

“The new Parramatta museum will be on the cutting edge of science and innovation, bringing the very best to a booming Western Sydney,” the minister said.

“The NSW Government is committed to building a truly iconic museum in Western Sydney and we want it to be one the community can proudly call their own.”

In response to the government’s turn-of-face, Parramatta Council has stated it is “confident” that any business plan would show that a complete move away from Ultimo would be beneficial from a “population, financial and logistical perspective”.

The decision to relocate the Powerhouse museum to Parramatta and sell its current site in Ultimo was made in 2015 by former premier, Mike Baird.

The plans have been mired in controversy ever since with many inner-city residents decrying the decision as a simple land grab by property developers friendly with the Liberal Party.

Earlier this year, a parliamentary inquiry heard that the cost of moving the museum and its exhibits to Parramatta would be at least $800 million, with that figure likely to balloon close to $2 billion according to some experts such as former Powerhouse museum director, Lindsay Sharpe.

At the same time, it is believed the site in Ultimo where the museum currently resides would only generate about $150 – $200 million if sold to property developers.

There have also been safety concerns regarding the new proposed museum site at Parramatta’s Riverbank with experts in recent months warning of a very real risk of flooding at the location.

The continuing controversy has resulted in radio broadcaster, Alan Jones, coming in to bat for inner-city residents who want to keep the museum in Ultimo.

“Western Sydney and the inner city need cultural assets. We’re not denying Western Sydney. I’ll fight for you every day of my life. It’s not either/or, it’s both,” Mr Jones said on his 2GB radio show.

“Everything about the new museum has been planned in secret … so we know nothing about this Parramatta plan.”

City of Sydney Labor councillor, Linda Scott, has also welcomed the decision to rethink moving the whole museum away from Ultimo.

“I welcome the NSW Government reconsidering the sale, and urge them to commit to saving the Powerhouse Museum in Ultimo for good,” she said.

“Western Sydney communities deserve more cultural facilities – but this shouldn’t come at the expense of funding cuts to inner city cultural institutions.”

However, Ms Scott’s support for the museum to have some continuing presence at Ultimo is at odds with state Labor leader, Luke Foley, who said not moving the entire museum to Parramatta was “a stab in the back to the people of Western Sydney”.

His comments led to him being pilloried on social media by a number of his own supporters.

“As a Labor voter I think the Powerhouse Museum should absolutely stay put in Ultimo and not sold off to developers,” Labor supporter Anne Abercrombie wrote on Mr Foley’s Facebook page.

“However, build museums and art galleries for the west. Get all the treasures out of storage.”

The museum currently holds about 400,000 artefacts, many of which are not on public display but kept in storage.

The Save the Powerhouse lobby group has led the campaign over the past 18 months to keep the museum in Ultimo with a series of protests and events. Its co-convener, Patricia Johnson, said it was now up to the local community to inform the government of its views.

“Let’s all take this opportunity that Don Harwin offers by writing to him, and telling him once again what we want: The iconic Powerhouse Museum must remain in Ultimo where it will continue to go from strength to strength, “ Ms Johnston said.

“And Parramatta must have the new, world-class museum that the government has promised in the location that the Parramatta community advocates.”

More than half-a-million people visit the museum annually, with a 12% increase in visitor numbers noted for last year, according to the Save the Powerhouse campaign.

The museum in Ultimo has existed as a structure since 1893 and has been collecting items since 1879.

You May Also Like

Comments are closed.