Powerhouse Parramatta

I am the convenor of an informal email group that has been functioning since May 1, 2016, with over 100 active members. The engineers, architects and museum experts in this group cannot properly examine this EIS in the short time allowed particularly considering that the exhibition is 'virtual'. We request an extension for an additonal two months.
Thank you for your consideration of this matter.
T Lockley

This will be a valuable enhancement to Western Sydney, and Greater Sydney too. Transport links to Parramatta are very good, and the new Powerhouse will be another reason to visit, especially with the program likely to be implemented by the team driving the project.
We're all very excited about having a reason to visit Parramatta.

I have just read the EIS and am deeply saddened by the obvious bias towards the move to Parramatta, and the lack of a balanced, pro and con, report.
This move from Ultimo is extremely unpopular and in the present climate of the Sporting Arenas fiasco and the Covid19 impacts it may well also be political suicide too. It has changed my next election vote.
Ultimo is easily accessible to all and part of the Sydney cultural scene. Sydney needs all it's Museums and Galleries.
Parramatta is NOT accessible to most residents/tourists and needs it's own cultural identity. Destroying the heritage building of the area and building a "Milk Crate" does not provide this. Destruction of places such as Willow Grove is simply cultural vandalism.Also, I understand, the new museum design actually has less museum/display space - strange.
Options - 1.4Analysis of alternatives does not provide for an option 4 of retaining Ultimo AND building a museum at Parramatta. There are enough objects in storage to more than fully provide for 2 - sister - museums.
There should be MORE Museums and Galleries in Sydney, Greater Sydney and Regional areas... a positive cultural stimulus to all NSW.
I live in hope that sanity will prevail.

While do not 'object' to the Powerhouse coming to Parramatta, in fact I think this is an amazing boost for Western Sydney and the location makes it an amazing choice.
BUT - i do object to the tearing down of Willow Grove and possibly the terrace houses nearby ( St George's Terraces).
I first discovered Willow Grove when I started working in Parramatta in 2017, and was amazed by its beauty and how it had survived in amongst the growth of Parramatta, I saw a sign on it saying it was going to be knocked down, so started to follow its progress and made decision to try and prevent it's removal.
This house was built in 1870 - and it seems a ridiculous decision to knock it down, it should be retained as a piece of history from the area. Imagine our grandchildren being able to visit this piece of history and learn from it.
I am all for progress - and the benefits the Powerhouse will bring to Parramatta - BUT NOT AT THE EXPENSE OF HERITAGE!!
Please reconsider retaining these historic buildings in your planning for the future.

The Powerhouse Parramatta will become a critical driver for the proposed cultural precinct in the area. A much loved collection and dynamic program will ensure the communities of greater western Sydney have better access to cultural experiences, major and community events, education and resources. For existing visitors and volunteers (of the Ultimo site), enhanced public transport and local links will connect them to a significantly enhanced, World Class experience, befitting the Powerhouse and its collection, and one that can not be realised without this building.
The Powerhouse Parramatta will connect to local Aboriginal communities and culture and draw regional visitors, students and artists to both the museum and the area - vital for the preservation, celebration and shared understanding of First Nations people, culture and artistic practice.
The proposed education spaces and programs will be an invaluable resource for the local and proximate communities - providing curriculum-based learning, and continuing the science-arts-technology focussed programs currently being delivered. Equipping students with future focussed skills needed to support productivity and innovation.
Powerhouse Parramatta will make a vital contribution to construction jobs in the area - needed now more than ever; and catalyse the development, maturity, business confidence and reputation of the creative industries in the area and in Sydney more generally.
In addition to jobs growth, the economic impacts for the community will be felt through the onsite accommodation and programs, research agenda and the revitalisation of the riverbank, public domain, 24/7 activation and pedestrian civic links. This significant increase in amenity will drive visitation and tourism (including myself and my family, intra-state tourists), creating significant precinct footfall that will support the local day and night time economies.

I see no need for the expense of so much money to undertake this project. Further, I object to this project being in such close proximity to the Parramatta River. Furthermore, I have serious objections to the required demolition of the two significant heritage buildings in Phillip Sreet. Parramatta has lost so much of its visible and tangible links to its earlier days. There was a time when the Council of the City of Parramatta would not permit redevelopment encroaching on the riverbank, yet now it is happening. In my opinion, it is sad to see Parramatta City Centre losing its once delightful character.

I support the Powerhouse Parramatta project and believe it will have a positive impact in Parramatta, Western Sydney and beyond. As a leading institution within the Museum sector, this new build allows the Powerhouse Museum to increase their positive impact on the community.

The building design is engaging, innovative and sympathetic to the environment. It is clear that the design facilitates numerous points of engagement for visitors, whether they are the general public, practising artists or schools. The Powerhouse Parramatta project offers a much needed injection into the cultural and educational life of Western Sydney residents.

The Powerhouse Parramatta Project has the potential to be a lighthouse in community cultural development within Parramatta, Western Sydney and beyond and will offer a central,easily accessible meeting place for individuals and groups. It will fill an obvious gap in Western Sydney as there is no other cultural institution in this fast growing area that offers the same opportunities to the community. The Powerhouse Parramatta project will also bring artists to the Parramatta area, creating more possibilities for collaboration with residents, other artists, and schools and their students.

I am also aware that the Powerhouse Parramatta project will represent and celebrate our First Nations people, their history, stories and importance in our country. The project will build connections with the local First Nations people, thereby giving them another opportunity to be represented appropriately in our region.

In terms of economic benefits, the Powerhouse will put Western Sydney and broader NSW/Australia on the international stage and will champion best practice. The benefits to our economy will include more jobs created, more visitors to the region, more cross-collaboration across Sydney. The Powerhouse Parramatta project will be a vital injection to the economy and give our community the chance to strengthen our connections and sense of confidence in our region. I believe that it is vital to give communities a chance to connect, tell their stories and have cultural institutions that work with our community at a grass roots level and reflect the history of Australia as well as our present and future. This is what the Powerhouse Parramatta Project offers.

As a parent and local resident, I have a long standing connection with the Powerhouse as my children have been regular visitors to the Powerhouse throughout their lives and see this as a leading institution where they can go to learn about their world and their place in it. To have this available within our local community will have a positive impact on my family and the broader community.

I wholeheartedly support the Powerhouse Parramatta project.

I object to the location in a flood area and in a location requiring removing Heritage buildings.

I object to Heritage buildings Willow Grove and St George’s Terrace being demolished. The heritage buildings should be moved first; another site chosen so demolition not required; The new buildings built around the Heritage buildings; or at the very least replicas built first in alternate site that salvages as much as possible from the original. There are tourism sites in Sydney and surrounds for old dwellings. Demolition of our heritage is not in the best interests of current and future generations.

Please build the power house museum in Parramatta. And please build the museum on the site suggested. Good luck building it and build it quickly. Myself and all the local residents I speak to support this project in the strongest possible terms. We need this project.

I object to the demolition of Willowgrove and St George Terrace on the grounds of historical significance. These are both buildings of historical importance and should not be destroyed .Once a historical building is destroyed it can never be replaced. I am asking that the plans for the development of the site be changed to incorporate these two buildings. I am also asking that the present Powerhouse be retained at its present site and a historical museum be built in Parramatta as it is one of the most important historical sites in post European settlement.

It is not necessary to demolish Willow Grove and St George's Terrace. This is an act of vandalism.
Willow Grove is a lovely old Italianate mansion with some of its original grounds and the front fence intact. It has recently been renovated.
St George's Terrace is a well preserved nineteenth-century terrace.
These are some of the oldest intact buildings in Australia. If we destroy them, we'll never see their like again. These old buildings give Parramatta its character. Without them it is just another suburb. We should preserve Parramatta's character as Australia's historical second capital.
The proposed site is unsuitable because of the frequent flooding and because of size restrictions. The old golf course would be a much better site.

I am fully supportive of the Parramatta Powerhouse for the following reasons:

1. A cultural institution such as the Powerhouse being located in Parramatta will make it more accessible to all residents of Sydney.

2. The location of the site in terms of its proximity to the Parramatta CBD, transport access (rail and road) and its river frontage are perfect.

3. A project of this scale will bring visitors to Parramatta and showcase the diversity of the city and allow many people to appreciate the exhibitions on display.

I am very supportive of the entire vision for the CBD including the Metro West & light-rail & broader CBD plan including walkways etc.

The Government should be commended for having the vision to build a big cultural institution in the Western Suburbs of Sydney.

The existing site in Sydney is appropriate as it is easily available to residents and tourists alike. When visiting I alight the train at Central and get the light rail to the Powerhouse Museum. The building itself is a reminder of Sydney's history. That being said Parramatta could benefit from another Museum and utilize items in storage at Castle Hill. This should be built and the Powerhouse retained on the existing site. The new building in Parramatta needs to be smaller than the one proposed in order to retain the historical buildings close to the site. Just imagine if the Europeans had demolished the ancient towns and castles for new buildings. Australia is a young country and needs to retain as many historic buildings as possible. They cannot be replaced. One needs to ask ? Is the Governments insistence in moving the Powerhouse Museum simply a means to sell another public asset.

I object to the Powerhouse Museum proposal in its current form for the following reasons:
1. The loss of Willow Grove and St George’s Terrace.
Parramatta has a rich colonial history and fine heritage buildings & public spaces. Some even have World Heritage status. However, many structures have been lost in recent years as the city rapidly grows. Sadly, often the only token nod to heritage is a display case of artefacts, or a tiny section of original wall fabric or similar, in the grand foyer of the new building. If the city’s charm is to be retained, the challenge will be to best integrate the old Parramatta with the new, and the city has a grand opportunity – even an obligation - to showcase its new buildings while retaining its interesting streetscapes, heritage buildings and structures.
The heritage significance of Willow Grove and St George’s Terrace has been well documented and I do not intend to repeat the detail here. Suitably restored and repurposed, these buildings could be key features within the new museum precinct; the desirability of co-locating actual, existing heritage buildings within a new museum precinct seems logical and self-evident. The synergy is obvious, and this should have been a clear requirement of the design competition. Either a fresh competition should be held, or the particular proposal that included the retention of Willow Grove and St George’s Terrace should be accepted.

2. Excessive cost.
No reasonable person would argue that Parramatta should not have a high-quality museum. But this could have been more easily achieved by building a second Powerhouse Museum there, and retaining the principal facility in Ultimo. There are ample items in the collection to support two facilities. The state government has other much higher priorities than a full relocation of the Powerhouse Museum, particularly now that covid-19 has put so much pressure on the state budget. Substantial savings could be made by scaling back the proposed development.

To sum up:
• Parramatta deserves its new museum
• The heritage buildings should be retained as vibrant, key elements within the museum precinct
• Much taxpayer money can be saved by scaling back the proposal
This sensible compromise is a win, win, win, win scenario - for Parramatta, for heritage, for the economy, and for responsible, consultative government.

I oppose the relocation of the Powerhouse Museum to Parramatta if it means the destruction of buildings of significant local heritage. The NSW Government must not be allowed to destroy the heritage fabric of Australia’s second oldest European settlement so easily.

The NSW Government has not adequately consulted the people of Parramatta about the proposed demolition of the heritage buildings Willow Grove and St George’s Terrace in order to move the Powerhouse Museum to Parramatta.

I have been a Parramatta resident since 1981 and I did not see any evidence of community consultation. I have worked in media and government for almost three decades - including four years in the Department of Planning. If community consultation occurred and it missed somebody like me, it must have been extremely minimal and ineffective. Perhaps this was the intention.

Had the government undertaken genuine and widespread community consultation, with the implications fully explained, I don’t see how the public would have supported this project.

Kind regards,

Jim Hanna

I object this proposal solely due to the destruction of the history that the proposed design brings.

The destruction of Willow Grove (c.1870s) and St Georges Terrace (c1881) detract from what could be an amazing contribution to the growth of Parramatta. Both Willow Grove and St Georges Terrace are already listed as historically significant with the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage, as well as noted as a potential archaeological sites.

My concerns could be addressed by reviewing the design to ensure the retention of these historically significant properties. Both are in good condition and not only contribute to a historical understanding of Australia, these also aesthetically contribute to the streetscape of Parramatta.

Facilitating the retention of Willow Grove and the St George’s Terrace would negate the cumulative impact of the further loss of heritage within the Parramatta area from the point of view of the local communities, of which I am a member. Should this be addressed I would have no further objection.

I object to any development proposal that requires any existing heritage building to be demolished & replaced with a contemporary building that is the Powerhouse Museum currently in Ultimo. We have lost to many heritage listed buildings to date & we desperately need to save the few remaining heritage buildings that are left.

I object to this development on two grounds:

1. The current site for the Powerhouse Museum is perfectly adequate. It should not be moved, especially for the sake of making money through the sale of the land. There are more important things than profit.

2. The destruction of St George's Terrace heritage buildings in Phillip Street to make way for the new museum is appalling, especially given that what happened to the Oak Hotel to make way for the Metro has already reduced the heritage value of the Parramatta Precinct. Add to that the possibility that the Female Factory may also be lost. It's simply not necessary.

If this project is to go ahead, St George Terrace should be incorporated into the design of the new museum, but that is very much a last option. Just don't build it!

The proposed design results in the unnecessary demolition of heritage. There needs to be a redesign that is sympathetic and retains the heritage structures on the site.

We are a young country regarding to building amazing old buildings. We visit Europe to see the amazing building in the countries to be amazed by their beauty. Just imagine if the ancient planners of each country decided to demolish everyone of those buildings... no history no evidence of our ancestors. it would be VERY SAD, but they did not so the world has these amazing buildings to visit and reflect on.
Here in Australia our government representatives decided that all historical buildings, does not matter that they are our historical marvels, can be demolished willy nilly. Parramatta is the 2nd white settlement in our country and our Council and the State Governments have a very SHOCKING respect of our historical buildings and demolishes them for various reasons, usually small. I am shamed to called myself a Parramattian because history will show that Sydney'ites at this time did not VALUE these amazing building and allowed these historical buildings to be demolished.
I am sure there is another site that does not have HISTORICAL value in or around Parramatta that can be used the for Powerhouse site. WAKE UP AUSTRALIA!!!
WAKE UP Sydney and use these amazing buildings as tourist attractions that could bring money into the area.
What a sad country we are no respect for our industrious ancestors. SHAME