I object to the Powerhouse Parramatta project for the reasons listed below:
- The destruction of heritage buildings known as Willow Grove and St Georges Terraces. These buildings have such a large social history relevant to Parramatta and are rare examples of architecture that no longer exist within the local CBD. Their loss will mean a loss of sense of place and character that makes Parramatta unique, and the fact that this hasn't been adequately studies and reported on the EIS is concerning.
- Flood risks and accessibility. The flood risks to the riverbank site have been well documented and the government's solution to this issue by making the building a milk crate on stilts is beyond laughable, especially considering the accessibility issues that have since been reported in the media where it's been revealed that the public may have trouble from getting into the building.
- This new development is not a museum, let alone a new "Powerhouse Museum". What was promised for Parramatta is not what they'll be receiving. What is essentially proposed is a "Western Sydney Carriageworks" that will only provide a token gesture of the MAAS collection, whilst the rest of it is dispersed or stored away forever. Meanwhile the majority of the site will be dedicated to non-museum related functions that have little relevance to the city's - and by extension the nation's - arts, culture and technological heritage. And on top of that, the current Ultimo site will be permanently destroyed for property development, meaning Sydney will be left without a proper Applied Arts and Sciences museum forever.
- The "move" will cost $1.5 billion, when less than half this budget could provide Parramatta with its own purpose built museum relevant to the area's history, leaving the Ultimo site as is. Unfortunately this is conflict with the government's ideological and money-driven agenda at destroying our culture and heritage for a short term gain...
Well I say no more! I demand this project be halted immediately, the current museum be kept at its current site in Ultimo and upgraded, with a new museum planned for Parramatta, possibly within the Fleet St heritage precinct. This project is a massive mistake to proceed with.

I object in the strongest terms possible to the destruction of the Powerhouse Museum at Ultimo and the erection of a 'faux' Powerhouse at Parramatta.
The proposal is cultural vandalism of an iconic Museum which has been part of the Ultimo area for more than a 100 years and means so much to so many people.
It is similar to the destruction of the Buddhas of Bamiyan by the Taliban, the detonation of the sacred Aboriginal WA site by Rio Tinto in that the Museum at Ultimo portrays our history and what is proposed at Parramatta will never be able to display the type of objects found in the Powerhouse.
What point is there in having the Boulton & Watt engine if it lies in pieces in storage? (I believe the Smithsonian Institute covets it).
If the Ultimo Powerhouse Museum is destroyed it will rank in history with the Garden Palace Fire. But it will be a deliberate destruction of a well-loved, irreplaceable Sydney icon by the Berejiklian Government which also involves destruction of Parramatta's heritage.
I weep at this proposal.

I strongly object to the Powerhouse Museum being moved to Parramatta and I also strongly object to the demolition of Willowdale. We have so few heritage buildings that it is terrible to destroy another one - especially after the Hotel was destroyed to make way for the light rail in Parramatta. No tourists are going to travel to Parramatta to visit a Museum and the location in Parramatta periodically floods. Please, please leave the Powerhouse Museum in Harris Street.

The project to move the Powerhouse is a waste of public money. The planned site is flood prone, will not have enough room for display and is poorly designed to take on some of the larger machines of the current Powerhouse. Parramatta needs a museum. Sydney city needs a museum. Use the money you will save by not moving to construct a proper museum and share the many wonderful objects available to all three museums. We need more art, more culture not less.

I am writing to state my strong objection to the Parramatta Powerhouse project, for the following reasons:
1) Financial - the project costs are speculative estimates only, as scope and firm contracts have yet to be agreed. Commitment to proceed will result in another Sydney Football Stadium debacle, with scope reduced to fit the budget, undermining the supposed benefits, while the timeframe is extended.
2) Loss of Heritage - demolition of the heritage properties on the Parramatta site is not necessary or justified.
3) Displays - I understand the Parramatta Powerhouse will not have permanent displays, and therefore it is really just an exhibition and entertainment space - a themed function centre. There is no need to demolish the Ultimo museum if the exhibits are not required for the new display; just open an outstation of the Ultimo museum instead.
4) Flood plain - the Parramatta site is a flood plain and fundamentally unsuited to the purpose. Your planning documents will prove worthless when the first flood event arrives.
5) Business Case - the stated visitor numbers are inflated wishful thinking. The vast majority of international visitors will not go to Parramatta, they will select a nearby CBD attraction instead.
6) Real Estate value - the value of land released at Ultimo will be falling in value as a result of COVID; office space is less needed as desk workers have proven they are productive at home, and residential unit values are dropping as the economy sinks and international students stay at home. Again, the business case for this project makes no sense... another Sydney Football Stadium in the making.

Finally, would you please drop the name ‘Parramatta Poeerhouse’ - the site in Parramatta is not a former power station (and tram shed). On the Parramatta site are heritage homes and a car park, so I suggest you call instead call it the ‘demolished heritage homes museum’ or perhaps the ‘car park museum’.

I object to the Powerhouse Parramatta project. My objection is for the following reasons:
The site chosen for the museum is inappropriate for two reasons:
1: it is subject to flooding; and
2: Heritage buildings, namely Willow Grove and George’s Terrace, exist on the site and would be demolished to make way for the new building. I object to the demolition of these buildings, which are of cultural significance to Parramatta and hold a unique position within the Parramatta precinct.

I furthermore object to the removal of the contents of the Powerhouse Museum , Ultimo, from their current home there, to the proposed new museum in Parramatta. The collection housed in the Powerhouse Museum in Ultimo is unique, priceless and too fragile to be moved - it should stay in the building that was designed for it. I am particularly concerned about the Boulton & Watt Steam engine and believe that it will not survive removal from its present site.

I also object to the sale, demolition, development and repurposing of the Powerhouse museum buildings in Ultimo. These are buildings of state heritage significance in NSW and should be protected from any such developments by a State Heritage listing.

I believe that a better solution can be found than the proposed Parramatta Powerhouse project - one that does not involve the destruction of three buildings of heritage significance and the dismantling of a successful museum in the city of Sydney that holds a unique collection that should remain accessible to all Australians.

I object to the Powerhouse Parramatta project. As a Parramatta girl for 60 years, I have been disappointed to see lack of respect shown to many of Parramatta's once unique and historical buildings. They have been beautifully crafted in another time and as they are unique in australia's history it is so important they are maintained. Both Willow Grove and the 1882 row of shops represent the development of our uniqueness. Demolishing history, I thought, was vandalism in the past. I am ashamed to see that my current NSW government is in favour of such vandalism now. we need to learn from our mistakes in the past and not perpetuate them.
I am proud that Parramatta was an early vibrant place that assisted the development of Australia. These buildings are just two examples of grace and architectural ideas of the time. They help create the atmosphere and social inclusiveness for many of our denizens. Please do not destroy our unique links to the past. These buildings can not be rebuilt.

I Object to the Powerhouse Parramatta Project as it will result in the loss of a cultural institution in Ultimo and 2 historically significant buildings in Parramatta.
St George's Terraces in Parramatta and Willow Grove are important to the early history of Parramatta and should not be torn down.

The Current ultimo powerhouse is a cultural and historic icon of Sydney and is loved by many generations of Sydney Locals and international visitors and showcases important artifacts of the history of sydney including Locomotive No 1 and the destination board from Central Station. over the years the powerhouse had held many significant exhibitions such as those showcasing 1980s Australian culture and artifacts from the Apollo program efforts in Australia. Many of these items will not be on display at the new powerhouse.

The powerhouse building itself is significant as one of the main power stations of Sydney's former Tram network and also as part of the 1988 renewal of Darling harbour. it is also important in the lives of many generations of those who have visited as children and as adults.

I urge the goverment to reconsider this project and keep the powerhouse in Ultimo and build a purpose built unique museum in Parramatta.

Dear Major Projects

Unfortunately we can not and do not support the current "Powerhouse Parramatta" project as presented, and rushed in this EIS.

Greater Parramatta has needed State Cultural Infrastructure and equitable funding for the population, compared with Sydney, for many years.
The Project and 'winning design' are not suitable for the clear and necessary respect needed for Parramatta's complex cultural landscape and needs for all '5 Cultural Pillars' to be represented in the City.

The Building Brief has failed to ensure meaningful or long-term retention and integration of existing heritage values and buildings on Phillip St, that SHOULD infact become part of the MAAS Collection (or Parramatta Museum Collection) and be fully restored, incorporated and celebrated in juxtaposition of new and old, restocked with "Applied Arts" and decorative content in the Parramatta CBD.

The Building Design is opposed, as it is not being revised and reviewed adequately prior to this EIS. Whilst it presents a strong architectural logic for Event Management Space, there is inadequate and clearly suitable permanent Exhibition space (reduced in size, and without atmospheric controls). The 'modularity' of the lattice design structure SHOULD enable the Architects to be fully instructed to review and modify the configuration, contents and respect the context. It is argued this arrogance undermines the benefits of the post-industrial / late-modernism to simply represent a destructive and undesirable imposition, refusing to be modified significantly or adequately to respond to broad community objection. This philosophic arrogance leads to the destruction of Willow Grove Villa and the St. Georges Terrace which are rare and otherwise unrepresented in the CBD and both of which must be protected and embraced onsite.

The Design is opposed as noting an undesirable constriction and diminution of the Council's River Foreshore Vision, by literally rebuilding the "undercroft" void space in the "flood-zone" similar to the current DJ Carpark. This space at the river–level utterly fails to provide a socially inspirational foreshore zone, connected by only a staircase and a ramp to the "piazza". The break between these 2 areas is equally questioned (and here opposed) as suitable landscape integration by Parramatta Council's consultation, and betraying of our Indigenous Dharug community's aspirations for a rich meaningful riverine restoration and connection to country.

The Building and Project is opposed as it provides on a 9m wide passage for the Council's Civic Link vista, that had been designated to need to be at least 29m wide to incorporate Willow Grove and its Gardens (upgraded) for the experience connection to the River. A Building envelope "could" be corrected to enable this Planning Goal or at least a modular change made to the whole configuration, (see Diagram "FIXED IT" from internet search) or the Project cancelled.

Broadly the Powerhouse Project is misnamed, it should not be attempting to move the STEAM and DESIGN Collections from Ultimo, as these and the Campus#1 need to be retained in the Ultimo Powerhouse facility and be enhanced, in context.

Any "Parramatta" MAAS presence needs to be Campus#4 and actually demonstrate clear proof and connection with the so-named "integrated precinct" of the National Heritage Listed Fleet St Female Factory and Institutions, that is unsupported in the InfrastructureNSW PDF document (EIS). NO mention is made of the proposal to further divide the Collections with the Lucy Turnbull / Paul Keating proposed "V&A style" decorative arts museum at Queens Square, in the former Lands Titles heritage buildings.

The MAAS presence (or campus#4) needs the Building Brief to be CHANGED to incorporate being serviced by ALL 5 Pillar Sydney Cultural Institutions AND embrace the entire Cumberland Hospital Site on Fleet St with significant Botanic Garden and Indigenous City Forest (north side) on Deerubbin Land and Gaol.

For these reason, we strongly oppose the current project, and its profligate waste of funds destroying the Ultimo Institution, Parramatta Assets and failing to consult adequately for the comprehensive 'new institution and stand-alone' Museum integrating all of Parramatta's cultural needs and qualities.

Yours sincerely
S A Cook, G R Sellman
The Social Canvas. Parramatta