I wish to object in the strongest terms to the proposed closure of the Powerhouse Museum at Ultimo and the construction of the proposed new facility at Parramatta.
During my 40 year career with the NSW Public Works Department I had the privilege of being part of the team that documented and built the Powerhouse and for two years I was one of many that put our hearts and souls into the project. The highlight of my input was, without doubt, project managing the display and installation of the Boulton Watt engine. I can still recall the day that the installation was complete, the new high tech boiler installed remotely to provide steam to this engine and others in the collection was fired up, and the Boulton Watt came to life.
For 122 years the citizens of our great city have found entertainment, enlightenment and education at this iconic institution in Harris Street, Ultimo. Its vast holdings embrace science, technology, social history and an encyclopaedic collection of decorative arts and design, making it a cultural institution unique in Australia.
The Ultimo Power House was brilliantly repurposed just 30 years ago as a world class museum. Since it opened in 1988 the museum building and its exhibitions have won numerous awards. The project was a major investment for the people of New South Wales That investment will be squandered if the museum’s site is sold to developers.
The Powerhouse Museum is a vital part of the Ultimo education and innovation precinct. The new Goods Line walkway, light rail, and existing public transport ensure that the museum is easily accessed by visitors to Darling Harbour and the city.
We support the creation of a distinctive ‘cultural beacon’ in Parramatta, but to transport a pared-back, small scale Powerhouse would be folly.
Western Sydney deserves better – a unique institution shaped by community consultation, one that reflects the history, achievements and cultural diversity of the region and the aspirations of its people.
Nowhere else in the world are governments moving major museums away from the heart of their cities. Instead they are building satellite museums to display the collections of their great museums. The Powerhouse has the collections with which to create an original, exciting new museum for Western Sydney without abandoning its historic home.

I wish to strongly object to the proposed relocation of the Powerhouse Museum to Parramatta. I am not a member of any political party, nor have I donated to any such party. Apart from the high cost of the proposed move there is the danger of causing damage to priceless objects such as the Boulton and Watt engine, unique in the world. This is especially ridiculous when the proposed new museum will have less exhibit space than the current one. The only people to benefit will be those living on the western line, all others will be disadvantaged. School excursions in particular will be affected. Central Station is within a short walk to the current museum and most railway lines run through Central. Thus it is easy for schools say on the Hornsby or Sutherland or Campbelltown line to plan an excursion to the current museum. If they have to travel to Central and then take a further journey to Parramatta they are unlikely to do so. Cruise liners berth at Circular Quay whence it is a short trip to the Powerhouse. Visitors to Sydney mostly stay in CBD hotels a short trip by public transport to the Powerhouse. Tourists prefer convenience and it is unlikely many will decide to travel to Parramatta to visit the proposed new site, particularly if some of the current displays are not available. Thus tourist visits can be expected to decline rather than increase.
Many have correctly pointed out that there are enough exhibits at the Discovery Centre at Castle Hill to fill a Powerhouse 2 as many overseas museums have done. However, there are other options to provide a cultural centre for Parramatta. Melbourne has an excellent Immigration Museum, Sydney has nothing similar. Parramatta would be an ideal site for such a museum as many migrants have settled in the western suburbs. There are many such ways to provide Parramatta with a cultural centre but not at the expense of destroying what already is a valuable asset to Sydney.

I object to the powerhouse Parramatta project.
To me there does not seem to me to be any benefit to the people of New South Wales or people in the Parramatta area.
The current powerhouse museum has beautiful exhibition spaces and is a place I love to visit.
Moving the museum to Parramatta to a flood plain makes no sense. It will not have space to exhibit everything that is on display in the city and it is likely the exhibits will get damaged when the area inevitably floods again.
It also makes no sense to demolish historic buildings such as Willow grove which there are no other examples of in Parramatta CBD. To replace with another boring modern building.
It appears the only reason the government is moving the Powerhouse museum is to sell the land in the city to private development.
This would destroy a wonderful museum and memory of my childhood I hope to share with my children. It is also a massive waste of taxpayers money.
Please reconsider the plan to move the powerhouse museum to Parramatta and keep it where it is!

I declare I have not made any reportable political donations.

Please listen to the people of New South Wales and don't waste taxpayers money on an unnecessary move.
Keep the Powerhouse Museum where it is.

I strongly object to the Powerhouse Parramatta project for the following reasons -
1. The moving of the Powerhouse Museum is a ridiculous waste of money, especially in these uncertain times of the Covid 19 Pandemic;
2. The Powerhouse is in an excellent purpose built location and does not need to be moved;
3. the need to demolish heritage buildings Willow Grove Villa and St Georges Terraces to build the ‘Powerhouse Parramatta’. Willow Grove and St Georges Terraces are rare examples of architecture that no longer exist
in Parramatta CBD and should be retained. These buildings need to be saved and showcased rather than demolished;
4. Social history and the loss of sense of place and character of Parramatta
are important to raise as they have not been adequately studied and reported on in the Environmental Impact Statement.

I grew up in western Sydney and now work in Parramatta.

It is the home of some beautiful heritage building that are part of the history of our area and indeed our nation.

Willowgrove is one of these – please don’t let it be destroyed for the sake of a powerhouse museum. Preserve our history - it is vital for the future. There are many sites that can be used to build a new building for such a purpose.

Thanks

My name is Liam O'Donoghue. I am writing to state that I object to the Powerhouse Parramatta project.

The people of NSW deserve to have continued access to quality cultural facilities that showcase the skills and talents that can be found among the people and the industries of our state. We also deserve to have our historically significant public sites preserved, and our access to those sites maintained and expanded. The current plan fails on those measures, and will instead destroy important heritage sites such as the Willow Grove Villa and St Georges Terraces in Parramatta.

The project as described does not take into consideration the heritage of either the Parramatta area, nor the Ultimo site. This ill-conceived proposal will in no serious sense increase access to, nor appreciation of, the vast holdings of the current Powerhouse museum. The project as described will see what is rightfully a beloved and valuable cultural asset degraded, while the proposed replacement will not fulfil its potential and will actively destroy heritage sites in Parramatta.

Instead of this poorly thought through plan, the Ultimo site should be renewed with greater investment and expansion. In addition to that, an entirely new facility should be conceived of for Parramatta that properly considers and responds to the area's unique and rich heritage. One which does not require the destruction of heritage to house new facilities. Parramatta deserves better than a second rate museum of convenience, and we deserve to have our heritage sites respected and preserved.

I have not made any reportable political donations.

I object for the following reasons:
The secrecy around why the museum is being moved. The astronomical cost of the move in the current financial crisis. Parramatta deserves its own museum and could display many of the items from the current museum collection based on themes that fit the area. The destruction of two historic buildings to build what is basically a function venue is unbelieveable given the purpose of a museum is to conserve and educate. The fact that it is being built on a flood prone site is a serious risk to take.Closing the current museum when the new one is not due to open for 4-5 years is highly questionable. Like knocking down a stadium days before an election.Where will the major drawcard large items from the current museum be housed as they won't fit in the new museum. And back to my first point - what is the point of this move? The premier's answers re jobs and the need for a museum in Parramatta do not justify the closure and moving of an iconic Australian museum and the enormous financial cost.

I OBJECT TO THE POWERHOUSE PARRAMATTA

Parramatta is a place of historic significance which keeps being demolished under the disguise of progress.
These colonial buildings mean a lot to our previous generations as well as our future ones.
They are also important to the indigenous people and it’s disrespectful to tear buildings like this down.
People move and visit Parramatta not only to work and socialize but to visit these places of history and the vibe they create.
You cannot replace these buildings once they are gone and that would be not only upsetting but a real travesty.
The Powerhouse Museum needs a new site,one where there is no flooding and that doesn’t destroy own already standing museum (Willow Grove) in the process.
As a rate payer of Parramatta I strongly object to this destruction of this building and any other historically sognificant building.

I have been a resident in the city of Parramatta for most of my 70 years. I strongly object to the proposed Powerhouse move and plan shown on your display. My major concern is:

1. the complete disregard for our heritage, even though 14,000 people
signed a petition in just under a week calling on the Premier to protect WillowGrove and St Georges Terraces; along with Historic House Association and National Trust of Australia (NSW) condemning the governments decisions they have continued on this path of destruction.

Parramatta has a unique heritage and history that should be preserved and celebrated as do other countries with their culture and history. It was Parramatta that saved the early colony when it was on the brink of starvation. Yet even here there has been a gradual erosion of the places where food was grown in the now Parramatta Park and Rosehill, with unsympathetic high rise apartments and towers taking over more and more space and the green environment.

There is a far better alternative for a real museum in Parramatta that has constantly been shown to the NSW Government and Planning Department but that has been consistently ignored. I refer to the North Parramatta precinct.

The area here would allow for a world class history and heritage environment encompassing the present historic buildings such as the Female Factory by the famous architect Francis Greenway.

It could create a museum/display that shows the marvellous Aboriginal history of the Darug people and other NSW groups that also used this part of the land. Also incorporated could be the early colonial history of the area and then the wonderful history of immigration and the multicultural nature of our area that has been so rich. This kind of development would create something that people would want to see and visit not just from our region but from overseas as well. Very few would want to come to see the high-rise that the NSW Govt is planning for this unique area.

2. To destroy the amazing exhibits in the Ultimo Powerhouse by
removing them for the so-called museum proposed in Parramatta I see as nothing short of vandalism. It seems fairly certain that developers of high rise is what is in the Premier and Government's mind despite their denials.
Also the designs made available by the government that is now on display clearly demonstrate we are not getting a Museum in Parramatta at all. The proposed rather ugly design, somewhat like empty milk crates, is smaller, won't fit the large exhibitions we were told we were getting, with cost blow outs increasing by the week and not a sod turned. It is more a hotch-potch of entertainment, more restaurants and eateries (as if we have not enough already in the area) presentation spaces stacked over the east and west wings, along with a research lab, apartments for visiting researchers, a rooftop terrace and a student dormitory. The primary use of the presentation spaces will be to stage exhibitions, chief executive Lisa Havilah says, but they have also been designed for flexible or "secondary" use and available
for commercial events. Ms Havilah seems
not to have much appreciation of history when she said "the difference is one of philosophy: the past versus the future, traditional museum practices versus contemporary" as if our past history has no value.

3. The government has fallen back on its usual mantra touting the
number of jobs it claims the project will create. But far from justifying its plans, the fact that a great deal of work is involved in demolishing an outstanding building and constructing one that is not fit for purpose simply highlights the project's folly.

4. Willow Grove and the St George Terraces are some of the few
remaining historic and heritage buildings in Parramatta. To destroy them for what is now seen to be such a disappointing project and for the sake of a carpark to accommodate it there is nothing short of scandalous. Whoever is responsible for this is completely lacking in vision, appreciation of Australia's true history and cultural realities and seems to have one value only -the bottom line for developers. I reject outright this second rate "museum "

I wish to register my strongest objection to the Powerhouse Parramatta project
It's very difficult to fathom what the thinking behind this is. The Powerhouse Museum is an iconic building and collection. The building should not be sold and the collection should not be broken up. A watered down event space in Parramatta is not what anyone wants.
The Powerhouse should remain in Ultimo and, when the time is right, a new and separate museum be built in Parramatta. And Willow Grove and St Georges Terrace should be left be.
There are three historically important sites that will be lost forever should this project go ahead.