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

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 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 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 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.

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 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.

See attachment for Powerhouse Parramatta objection