27 December, 2023
Save the Powerhouse: ‘Petition to Honour Promises’
Save the Powerhouse Campaign group, with its extensive reach of supporters, circulated an opportunity to join a petition to the NSW government’s arts minister, to ‘Honour his promises’ in keeping the museum open in Ultimo. Powerhouse Museum Alliance agrees with their suggestion, and still wants to know the secret plans (if there are any) for what, and how, it (and the Parramatta site) will represent the unique inter-related collection of technology and science, decorative arts and design and social history, as a primary purpose.

Save the Powerhouse Campaign group writes: See Facebook here 
The Labor Government has taken advantage of the year-end break to announce the closure of the Powerhouse Museum on February 5, 2024.
It has broken all the promises made concerning the Powerhouse Museum in Ultimo (see museums expert, Kylie Winkworth’s list for details 1, including Minister for the Arts, John Graham’s declaration that “We promised at the election that we would …keep the Powerhouse Museum open” (Media Release 2 September 2023)
The Save the Powerhouse Campaign, Pyrmont Action Inc. and Friends of Ultimo have joined forces to mount a petition https://chng.it/HWYWPscJBD calling on The Hon. John Graham, Minister for the Arts, to HONOUR HIS PROMISES including to keep the Museum open and not allow the removal of the permanent exhibitions to storage at least until a “Heritage Revitalisation” project is developed and is ready to be implemented. This must be made in full consultation with experts, relevant community groups and the public, If the Museum closes in February it will not re-open for many years (2033 according to budget papers), if ever, and not, as currently, as one of the most revered Science and Technology Museums in the world.
Instead Labor is delivering the LPN’s scheme to downsize and redevelop the former PHM “as a creative industries, arts and entertainment centre with some occasional exhibitions”.
The Museum closure in February is completely unjustified –
– The NSW Government’s, still secret, “Revitalisation” project will not be ready for months and Labor has budgeted less than half of its estimated $250M cost over the next 4 years.
– Further, museum experts advise that necessary maintenance and repairs to the building can easily be carried out while keeping the Museum open.
We would be grateful if you could share our message with your network, encourage as many people as possible to sign our petition https://chng.it/HWYWPscJBD and share it with their families and friends.
THE POWERHOUSE MUSEUM IS NOT SAVED!
We wish you, your family and friends a very happy new year,
Patricia JOHNSON & Jean-Pierre ALEXANDRE