17 June, 2024
Critical public feedback for NSW government’s ‘Revitalisation’ project for the Powerhouse Museum (also on PMA 2023-2024 news page)
Following the NSW government’s on-line publication – with some consultation meetings – during May 2024 (see our news on 3 May), of the plans for the ‘revitalisation’ of the Powerhouse Museum in Ultimo, it was also announced that ‘Feedback on the development application during public exhibition must be provided via the NSW Government Planning Portal’ by 30 May.
As a result, 126 submissions were made and are currently listed on the Portal site as Object, Comment and Support. To read them, Open Here and go to Submissions.
An overwhelming number of people opposed the plans as they were presented, and it is noted that despite the classification by the Planning Department, careful reading of all submissions identifies: Support: 4 (3%); Comment: 8 (6%); and Object: 114 (91%)
To also read submissions following earlier Consultations, see our news entries for 13 March, 2024, and 2 August 2022. As Save the Powerhouse noted on 16 June 2024: ‘This was the 10th time the public has been “consulted” on the Government “Powerhouse” destructive project and every “consultation” returned an “objection” percentage of at least 90%’ And Save’s joint Petition ’has now collected 7,160 signatures and is still growing, which dwarfs the handful of people attending each of the Government’s public “information” sessions.’ They include in their concerns that ‘Despite the Minister for the Arts’ repeated assurances of openness, transparency and of his will to genuinely consult the community, the process was flawed because … Critical documents including a business case, an architectural design brief and a future exhibition guideline document were not made public. The community was hence invited to comment on a construction project without knowing the intended purpose of the “revitalised” building.’ Read more from Save the Powerhouse Here: Save the PHM email
Now, in writing a well-informed submission for the Powerhouse Museum Alliance, former Trustee and Life Fellow, Kylie Winkworth, starts her 24 page research comments and conclusions, by saying:
‘The State Significant Development plans for “Powerhouse Ultimo” demolish all trace of the Powerhouse Museum, destroying the investment of generations of taxpayers, and the trust of the museum’s donors and supporters. This is a wasteful, deceptive and destructive project that breaches the obligations that governments and trustees have to protect museums and their assets as an intergenerational legacy, not to mention the explicit promises of two governments that the Powerhouse Museum would be saved. These plans show the Powerhouse Museum is NOT saved. It is extraordinary that any museum or Trust, mindful of the museum’s legislated remit, could advance such destructive scheme to demolish most of its state-of-the-art buildings and exhibition spaces. It is obvious that the management of MAAS, and presumably the Trustees, have never accepted the commitments of two governments to save the PHM, and have for the last nearly four years continued their campaign to strip the PHM of its assets, collections and funding for uses unrelated to the purpose of the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences and its Act.’ She identifies eight extensive Key Points, and a number of Key Recommendations and Conclusions. Read more Here: PowerhouseMuseumAlliance- Winkworth
The Powerhouse Museum Alliance and related associations are very impressed by the strong arguments made in Objecting to the current plans and processes by professional and supportive people who understand the museum well. Among the 100+ listed on the Planning Portal, here are some of those:
Andrew Grant
Christina Sumner
Design 5 architects
Docomomo
Grace Cochrane
Jacob Grossbard
Jennifer Sanders
John Petersen
Lindsay Sharp
Lionel Glendenning
National Trust
Pyrmont Action Group
Save the Powerhouse
Shirley Fitzgerald
Tom Lockley
Toner Stevenson