16 November, 2022
‘Forum: Unfinished Business: the Select Committee Report of the Government’s Management of the Powerhouse Museum and other museum and cultural projects in NSW’
On 16 November, following eight years of campaigning with many others in trying to convince the NSW government to cease its destructive (and largely secret) plans for the future of the Powerhouse Museum, the Powerhouse Museum Alliance organised a meeting at Parliament House to thank those involved in the Select Committee’s thorough investigation and report (and the Inquiry that preceded it) and to discuss their recommendations and further action. Read Report Here.
An invitation flyer explained further: ‘The Powerhouse Museum Alliance is holding an event at Parliament House, hosted by Committee Chair the Hon Robert Borsak MLC, to mark the completion of the Select Committee Report … and to thank the Committee members for their work. This month marks eight years since the NSW Government embarked on its unprecedented and globally embarrassing campaign to ‘move’ the Powerhouse Museum to Parramatta. After the announcement that the PHM was saved the government continued to implement its 2018 plan to turn the former PHM in Ultimo into a creative industries, fashion and design centre. This is contrary to the promises that Premier Perrottet made on 4 July 2020, and his recent statement that the renewed museum in Ultimo will continue to present a program across applied arts and applied sciences. This will include historical and contemporary science, engineering and design. The ‘Powerhouse Ultimo’ demolition and development will not be called a museum. It will have less than half the PHM’s current exhibition space. And without the Harwood building, it will have grossly inferior collection facilities to what was designed for the Real Powerhouse Museum.  These and other matters are the substance of the meeting.
Speakers at the Forum were: Kylie Winkworth and Jennifer Sanders (also chairs); Robert Borsak, chair of committee; Walt Secord, past Shadow Minister for Arts, and member of committee; Jamie Parker, Greens MP for Balmain; Tim James, MP; Troy Wright, Public Service Association; Debbie Rudder, Ian Debenham and Andrew Grant, former curators; Robert Hannan, Australiana Society, NSW branch, Tom Lockley, long-term volunteer.
See attached information flyer here: Unfinished Business Forum program and recs 15 Nov 2022
And read also, a summary of issues  by Kylie Winkworth: The PHM on the brink of extinction Nov 2022

Papers from speakers:
Debbie Rudder: ‘Upper House Inquiry Report findings and recommendations as they apply to stationary steam engines’: Inquiry report response DR
Robert Hannan: Visit to Castle Hill Discovery Centre:  A.S. address to Select Committee Nov 2022
Tom Lockley: Observations as a volunteer: Tom Lockley meeting at LC
Ian Debenham: The Boiler House exhibitions – the Catalina:  ID – Boiler House exhibitions – Catalina
Andrew Grant: Boiler House Exhibitions and UK Comparators:  A Grant – Boiler House Exhibitions & UK Comparators