Design Institute of Australia: position paper

In February 2015, the NSW Premier The Hon Mike Baird announced that Sydney’s Powerhouse Museum would be moved to Parramatta and the existing site at Ultimo would be sold to developers, if the Coalition Government were re-elected.

Position of the Design Institute of Australia (DIA)

  • The DIA fully supports the establishment of a Parramatta branch of the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences (MAAS), which will bring into public view more of the MAAS collection.
  • The DIA opposes the closure and redevelopment of the Powerhouse Museum in Ultimo.
  • The DIA would like a public consultation process to be instigated that will properly consider the future of the Powerhouse.
  • A range of stakeholders should be consulted during this process, including professional designers, who are key contributors to the commercial and cultural wealth of Australia.
  • The DIA advocates that the future of the museum’s important design and decorative arts collection, and the Powerhouse’s relationship with the design industry should be key considerations in this process.

Read more on the Design Institute of Australia’s website here.