Powerhouse Parramatta

I object to the Powerhouse Parramatta Project for the following reasons:

The demolition of Willowgrove and St Georges Terraces will leave fewer buildings of historic importance. We need to value our heritage and do everything to retain these buildings.

The Powerhouse Museum should remain at Ultimo to showcase the many wonderful exhibits it holds that won't be able to be exhibited in the smaller museum in Parramatta.

The proposed site for the Powerhouse is in a flood plain.

The disruption to business in the Parramatta Business District with the movement of trucks through the city.

It is not environmentally friendly in regard to noise pollution.

I do not want my name published.
I have not made any reportable political donations.

I OBJECT to the Powerhouse Parramatta Project absolutely.

1. To loose the Willow Grove Villa and St Georges Terrace is wrong and a shocking decision to make. A huge loss to our early history in Parramatra and to our early historical storey.

2 . The new Power House intended to be built is NOT fit for purpose. Too small to house the exhibits and is a poor excuse for a Power house museum.

3 Built on a flood plain. How stupid is that.

4. Is half the size of the current Power house in Sydney which actually is fit for purpose.

5. A great loss to Sydney when the current fantastic historical building is destroyed at Haymarket.

6. Will be difficult to fit the steam engine into the interior space at the new museum building.

7. No place to run pistons etc as can be done at the power house in Sydney currently if it was correctly funded.

8. No imagination or creative thinking has been used to create this development in Parramatta.

9. Build a museum in Parramatta, not on this flood prone site and house exhibits from the current stored exhibits at Castle Hills would make more sense.

10. Incorporate rich Colonial history in Parramatta with Willowgrove and Georgeon Terraces including aboriginal history at Parramatta would be the correct and appropriate display at Parramatta.

Lastly, how dare this Government and Planning Dept. deprive and ignore the objections from thousands of people / citizens living in this City by continuing on with this awful development and not considering the ligitimate concerns and objections to this development.


I object to the Powerhouse Parramatta project because it does not save the historic Willow Grove and Georges Terrace.
Why, with all the expertise of architects and designers that there is no imagination and diversity to incorporate these buildings into the designing of a World class museum showcasing the many exhibits currently stuck in Castle Hill and not utilised I cannot fathom.
Ultimo has the Powerhouse and Parramatta can have a museum including the rich colonial history and Indigenous history. Why not?!!

I object to the Powerhouse Parramatta project because it is planned for a most unsuitable site and at the great expense of losing beautiful heritage buildings, namely Willow Grove and St George Terraces.
I am in favour of keeping the present Powerhouse Museum at its location in Ultimo, as it would be a tragic loss to the people of the inner city. And building a new Powerhouse for the people of the west. The ideal location would be the Cumberland Heritage Precinct. So much open space to utilise and surrounded by heritage buildings. We must embrace , preserve and value the history in these buildings.
Royal Oak Inn is gone forever, heartbreaking! Please don’t allow any more of Parramatta’s history to be destroyed, we want it for future generations.

The demolition of heritage buildings necessitated by this project proposal is unwarranted and unacceptable. The proposal blatantly ignores both community demands to retain heritage buildings and carefully considered local government plans to integrate heritage buildings with future civic development.

Parramatta and Greater Sydney deserve a museum that citizens can be proud to call their own. If approved, the current proposal risks the museum becoming an object of derision – representing the destruction of identity and place, the failure of planning regulation to avert unfettered development and the callous overriding of local autonomy by state government.

The decision by overseers of the Powerhouse Parramatta project to conduct a planning process which presupposed the demolition of heritage buildings from the outset is an indictment of this proposal. In the face of unrelenting professional and community led opposition to the destruction of heritage buildings, it cannot be claimed that this approach was appropriate in determining the design of the Parramatta museum.

The diversity of architectural approaches presented by the shortlisted designs for this project demonstrate the clear potential for an alternative proposal for Powerhouse Parramatta to be produced that guarantees the retention of heritage buildings and realises Parramatta Council’s intended vision for the Civic Link – either through modest modifications to the current proposal or the selection of a new or pre-existing design.

Hi Jessica,

Further to our conversation this afternoon with both yourself and Amy Watson, Telstra has no issue with the proposed development.

Telstra acknowledges the proposal with respect to Telstra’s main and distribution networks in the area of the proposed development.

Telstra requests that application is made via 1800 810 443 or on-line via https://say.telstra.com.au/customer/general/forms/request-asset-relocation-or-commercial-works
to engage with Telstra, to determine any impact to the Telstra network when further detail is made available.

Regards

Justin Robison
Senior Project Manager
Exchanges & Infrastructure
InfraCo

Please don't destroy Willow Grove and St. Georges Terraces, this in direct contrast to the wishes of the residents of Parramatta. Please, if you wish to build a museum, find a location where you don't have to destroy our history to do so!

I object to the Powerhouse Parramatta project because it would involve significant destruction of the cultural and architectural heritage of the original building known as Willow Grove, and the row of 19th century St Georges Terraces;
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Parramatta has a wonderful heritage of its own - including the above buildings - and does not need to subsume the unique collection of the Powerhouse Museum in Ultimo.
Parramatta deserves it's own arts and cultural precinct and I understand there is considerable community support for the creation of such a campus – the Fleet Street Heritage Precinct - to be be set amongst a 30 ha garden environment alongside Parramatta River.

I understand there was a resolution in July 2020 to reverse the decision to close the site of the current Powerhouse Museum in Ultimo and relocate the collection. I heartily endorse this move. The Powerhouse Museum at Ultimo has roots that go back to 1879 and it is against all common sense as well as the advice of museum experts, architectural heritage experts, cultural and business leaders that it should be in part moved to Parramatta and it's exhibits dispersed..

I object to the Powerhouse Parramatta Project for a number of reasons.

1. As I grew up in the Parramatta area I feel very strongly about its heritage – much of which has already been lost.

2. The few beautiful buildings which remain HAVE to be saved for future generations – including Willow Grove Villa and the St. George’s Terraces.

3. Parramatta was such an important part of our History – and our history doesn’t seem to matter to anyone any more.

4. It’s too easy to re-write history – as is being done in so many areas lately. “Knock it down and it’s as if it was never there”.

5. Having watched dozens of floods of the Parramatta River, including along the banks of the old David Jones site, it would be foolish to consider building anything which could be damaged, or the contents destroyed during future (possibly much bigger) floods.

6. We haven’t even had a 100 year flood since the 1950’s !!! And 100 “year” does not mean “Years” – it means 1 in 100 “chances”!

7. I have lived in flood-prone areas for the past 70 years and fully understand the implications of a flood – and during that time we haven’t even reached a possible peak level.

8. I LOVE the Powerhouse museum, and have been visiting it since I was a child, and have taken my children and grandchildren there many times.

9. YES, I would love to see something similar in Parramatta – but not at the detriment of the existing Powerhouse museum, and Not in a situation where it could have possible immeasurable consequences.

10. There are many other suitable places in Parramatta where a (much cheaper) museum could be built, which could house some of the items and artefacts which are currently housed in Sydney and at the Castle Hill repository.

11. The Sydney “basin” is growing at a staggering rate, and there needs to be at least TWO, and maybe even THREE branches of the Powerhouse Museum in order to display all their wonderful “stuff”.

12. I enquired last year about donating some artefacts, and was advised that even IF they moved to Parramatta, there would still be no room for most of the things that were currently stored elsewhere and unable to be seen by the public.

13. I feel there has been no real foresight into the moving of the Powerhouse museum in its entirety to Parramatta, and it should go back to the drawing board for further consideration.

14. Once “done”, it will be too late to be “undone”.

15. I have not made any reportable political donations, nor have I any interest in any political party. This is just a personal VERY strong objection.

16. I believe that there has been insufficient consultation with the public, and little consideration of any Environmental impact statement.

17. BUT WAIT – if it was Aboriginal Heritage instead of MY HERITAGE – I’m sure there would be a much greater emphasis on the scrutiny of this project.


I object to the Powerhouse Parramatta project because it’s the most ridiculous plan I’ve ever heard of.

Taking away what is the last of our much loved heritage is a sad, sad indictment of society these days.

When I was young I probably couldn’t have cared about THINGS IN THE PAST, but the older I’ve become I realise that our Heritage, including the buildings, is a very important part of WHO WE ARE.

Much as I agree that Parramatta needs an annex of the Powerhouse Museum, I do not believe it should be on the proposed site. It’s virtually impossible for those of us who live in the Southern Suburbs to get to Parramatta by public transport (CITY is MUCH easier).

However, if it was moved to a much larger site, outside the main Parramatta CBD area, then everyone could go by Public Transport OR car if sufficient parking was made available. The proposed site has neither transport nor parking !!

The statement of “making it accessible to the Western Suburbs” is just ridiculous, because unless you are literally on the “western line” – we still can’t get there without a private car – and then there’s no parking in Parramatta !!!

I LOVE going out to the archives at CASTLE HILL – where there is parking, or tour buses can bring in disabled visitors and school children. None of this would be suitable in the proposed Parramatta site.

And to top it off ………….. the old heritage homes would have to be destroyed. Destroying History to showcase history ……………… doesn’t make sense.

Please do not publish my name as these days it’s not a good idea !!!

(PS. Please don’t take this personally, but I’m sure you can get the message that I’m “not happy Jan” regarding the proposal to destroy the heritage homes, nor the proposed site.)

Dear Head Planner.
I object to the Powerhouse Parramatta because it means destroying some more of our Heritage buildings, we have already lost too much, one of which was the 207 yr old Royal Oak Hotel and buildings and Beautiful Majestic old trees at The Female Factory!!
I was born in Willow Grove when it was "Aloha Hospital" in 1946 and I would like that my Great Grandchildren and future generations could visit where I was born in Willow Grove.
Willow Grove and The St George Terraces are unique and rare examples of Architecture that no longer exist in Parramatta, so should be kept!!
The History of these buildings are also important to the people of Parramatta, Willow Grove had been a Maternity Hospital for many decades so is important to Medical and Ancestry history!!
It is disgusting to think that these buildings would be destroyed to be replaced with an unsuitable building, on a flood plain, that does not suit with any other building in Parramatta!!
The Sydney Powerhouse Museum should stay in Ultimo so that all the exhibits can be on display and not locked away never to be seen again as most of them would not fit into the planned ridiculous building in Parramatta.
Also whatever is built in Parramatta, it can not be named "Powerhouse"....where is The Powerhouse??? The Sydney Powerhouse Museum in Ultimo was built into The old Powerhouse building!!
Apart from what I have written, it is ludicrous to spend Billions of dollars to do this when Parramatta needs a Replacement Swimming Pool and many Suburbs need money spent on Hospitals and Schools etc!!
I have not made any reportable Political Donations!!
When is our Premier going to listen to what the Australian People want and do not want and not just do what she wants!!!
Willow Grove and The Terraces should be left where they are and be restored, they have been loved and valued by the Public in a convenient location!!
I would also like my name to be withheld from being published. Thank you!!

I object to the Powerhouse Parramatta project because I think it would be a disgrace to demolish such stately old buildings to build the museum there. Why can’t they be incorporated into the museum precinct?
I was actually born at Willowvale. It was known as The Aloha Private Hospital back in 1947. Three of my siblings were also born there along with quite a number of the Brien clan who were a large Parramatta family. The family home was at 33 Victoria Road Parramatta.
I worked for the Master Builders Association in Canberra when Jack Mundey was very vocal about saving some of the old buildings around the inner city area of Sydney and he and his union members stood their ground and saved those areas for future generations. I think we should save these buildings too.

I am writing to you to object to the demolition of Willow Grove and George's Terrace Parramatta to accommodate the Powerhouse Parramatta project because that would mean that a very important part of Parramatta's Heritage will be lost to posterity. Sydney has already lost a lot of its architectural heritage and is soon turning into a concrete jungle.


The Powerhouse Museum can be accommodated some where else in Western Sydney. This proposed demolition of these two important heritage structures is nothing short of an architecture carnage. Gradual destruction of Sydney's past will be regretted in the years to come.
Great cities if the world are known by their splendid architecture that has been preserved and celebrated. That doesn't seem to be the case in Sydney.


Hence I appeal to you to exercise your powers to halt the proposed demolition of Willow Grove and George's Terrace in Parramatta. Future generations of Sydneysiders will thank you for this noble act.

I object to the Powerhouse Parramatta project because..

I object to the Powerhouse Parramatta project because Willow Grove and St Georges Terrace are one of a kind in the Parramatta CBD and their loss would have a significant impact on the community's connection with heritage.

I declare that I have not made any political donations.

I object to the Powerhouse Parramatta project because of the proposal to demolish two beautiful heritage buildings. Sydney has so little of its colonial history left and to demolish these two buildings will be senseless vandalism.

Please stop this destruction before it’s too late.

I object to the Powerhouse Parramatta project because of the destruction of these beautiful historical buildings and place. We need to protect them for the future as so much is being lost everywhere else in Sydney.
You can help preserve history! History in its natural state and glory is a beautiful sight and always will be supreme. (How ironic to be replaced by a museum) These old dames are like castles are to England.
What a travesty it is to destroy them.

I object to the Powerhouse Parramatta project because of its current configuration which results in the demolition of willow grove and the historic terraces.
I love parramatta and have been connected to the area through my fathers work at parramatta going back to the 60s .
My daughter lives in Granville and we spend time in parramatta Park frequently.
Don’t allow this project to destroy the history of parramatta . Once lost it’s gone forever.

I object to the Powerhouse Parramatta project because..

I object to the Powerhouse Parramatta project as it is proposed because it threatens the retention of Willow Grove and St Georges Terrace. These buildings are a very significant part of Parramatta’s and New South Wales’ history and need to be retained as part of our heritage.

I have not made any reportable donations to any political parties or vested interests.

I object to the Powerhouse Parramatta project because..
We are losing all our heritage. We need to keep Willow Grove & St George’s Terraces. These are heritage buildings they have so much history to them & meaning.

Parramatta would be losing another part of its history. History is where we came from. Each day our history is being torn down, this has to stop.

Please withhold my name from being published.