Parramatta Powerhouse Museum: Council discusses EIS
A council debated whether to have “one last showdown’’ with the Premier about saving heritage buildings to make way for the Powerhouse Museum at Parramatta.
Parramatta
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A divided Parramatta Council chamber debated whether to have “one last showdown’’ with NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian about saving heritage buildings to make way for the Powerhouse Museum while others believed it should “stop poking the bear’’ and welcome the “cultural icon’’.
The council met on Thursday night to discuss its submission to the Environmental Impact Statement for the controversial Powerhouse project, which would see it relocate from Ultimo to the flood-prone banks of the Parramatta River.
The council has reaffirmed its support of the museum while retaining the heritage-listed Willow Grove and St George’s Terrace at Phillip St.
A motion to delay the submission to the State Government until the council could hold a meeting with Premier Gladys Berejiklian was lost on Lord Mayor Bob Dwyer’s casting vote during an emotion-charged meeting.
“Let’s have one last showdown with the premier to explain why these buildings are so important not just for Parramatta, not just the city, but Australia,’’ Labor councillor Donna Davis said.
“It’s one last chance.’’
She reminded her peers they had twice unanimously voted to retain Willow Grove and St George’s Terrace at previous meetings.
But Liberal councillor Bill Tyrrell said the project, which is expected to create 3000 jobs, should proceed regardless of saving the historical gems.
“I’m sorry about Willow Grove,’’ he said.
“I want to save it but at the end of the day, in my opinion, the decision has been made so stop poking the bear.
“This is what we are entitled to get for western Sydney. The people of western Sydney deserve their museum of applied arts. This is a cultural icon of Parramatta.’’
But Labor’s Patricia Prociv rejected the comments, saying the museum issue was beyond just western Sydney.
“This is about Parramatta and this is the cradle of the nation,’’ she said.
“We are a city whose heritage is built on domestic architecture. The colony depended on us.’’
She slammed the Environmental Impact Statement for failing to address “one iota’’ of Parramatta’s history “and what it means to the people of western Sydney’’.
“To get this building we’re going to lose our heritage and income from a parking station (the Riverbank carpark). We are losing more than we are getting. You cannot always put value on heritage.”
Liberal councillor Steve Issa said the fight was over and Parramatta prevailed the winner when the government selected it for the Powerhouse Museum.
Other key points in the council’s submission to the EIS included highlighting the lack of links between the museum and the public domain, poor design for the flood-prone site and the failure to design an adequate pedestrian spine called the Civic Link.
It is understood the link would mean acquiring Church St mainstay El-Phoenician Lebanese restaurant.
The restaurant is one of many already suffering from the government’s light rail construction.
The public feedback period for the Parramatta Powerhouse EIS has been extended from July 7 to July 21.
The council will now forward its submission to the Planning Department.