Kylie Winkworth                                                                                                2 December 2019

How much has been spent on consultants and costs related to the ‘move’ of the Powerhouse Museum to Parramatta and the eviction of the PHM’s collections, otherwise known as collections relocation? Figures derived from annual reports total $38.7m. This would build three new regional museums in drought-stricken regional NSW. The $11.322m cost of the design competition alone would build an impressive new regional museum. It’s been a consultants’ picnic, but not a single new museum job has been created in Parramatta.

MAAS New Museum Western Sydney summary of consultant & related costs
Source	Amount	Purpose
2015-16 MAAS annual report	$3,380,000	first year of funding ($10,000,000 over 2 years) relating to the museum’s proposed relocation
2016-17 MAAS annual report	$2,859,000	business case for the New Museum project
2016-17 MAAS annual report	$2,790,000	ancillary costs in relation to the business case
2016-17 MAAS annual report	$3,261,000	diverted to the Department of Planning and Environment to address the extension of the business case
2017-18 MAAS annual report	$2,790,000	collection relocation and Parramatta expenses
2017-18 Dept of Planning annual report	$5,770,000	expenses for the New Museum Parramatta
2018-19 MAAS annual report	$2,986,000	employee related costs for the collections relocation
2018-19 MAAS annual report	$1,207,000	equipment related to the collection relocation
2018-19 Dept of Planning annual report	$11,322,000	“New Powerhouse Museum” for Parramatta design competition
2018-19 Dept of Planning annual report	$2,353,000	Creative industries precinct at Ultimo
Total	$38,718,000