Sydney weather: Rain highlights risk of Parramatta Powerhouse Museum site
Severe weather has underlined why the government should dump its “risky” project to relocate the Powerhouse Museum to a floodplain site at Parramatta, Jodi McKay says.
Parramatta
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NSW Opposition leader Jodi McKay has renewed calls for the Liberal Government to abandon the $1.5 billion Powerhouse Museum’s relocation to Parramatta as rain lashed the banks of the site where it is to be built.
A deluge of 138mm of rain fell at Parramatta on Sunday, sending cars floating into the Parramatta River and sending the Parramatta SES into overdrive.
Crews responded to more than 70 requests for assistance — including six flood-related incidents — on Sunday.
As heavy rains caused the Parramatta River to flood, Ms McKay said Premier
Gladys Berejiklian’s plan to move fragile museum exhibits from Pyrmont to floodplain Parramatta site would put important cultural and heritage displays at risk of destruction from flood waters.
“The Parramatta community has been warning for the last five years about how Ms Berejiklian’s selected site is on a floodplain and today, we see that their predictions were 100 per cent correct,’’ she said.
“It will also mean millions of dollars in additional flood mitigation costs. The project is already north of $1.5 billion and the costs are rising.”
Labor has also said it would support moves under way to resume the NSW Legislative Council’s inquiry into the Powerhouse Museum relocation and its massive cost blowouts.
Opposition arts spokesman Walt Secord described the Parramatta design as a “monstrosity on stilts”.
Ms Berejiklian’s planned relocation would also mean the destruction of Parramatta heritage icon Willow Grove, built in the 1870s and used as a maternity hospital in the 1920s.
A Powerhouse Museum spokeswoman said flood mitigation was at the heart of planning the museum.
“It has been a core consideration from the outset as the safety of the precious Powerhouse collection is paramount,’’ she said.
“The advice from our flood engineer is that the weekend’s weather event did not reach the 1 in 100 flood level mark.
“All exhibition spaces in the museum have been designed to be above this level. Modern buildings are designed to withstand the elements – the new Powerhouse is no exception.”
The inclement conditions played havoc across the area.
Since Thursday February 6, Parramatta SES has received 280 ruquests for help, with more likely to continue this week.
The worst affected suburbs were Carlingford and Epping, which accounted for about a quarter of the jobs.
Parramatta, Winston Hills, Rydalmere and Toongabbie were also hammered.
SES crews mainly responded to clearing trees or branches.
“In some cases, very large trees have caused extensive damage to houses, and blocked key roads across the Parramatta area,’’ a Parramatta SES spokeman said.
“In addition, Parramatta SES volunteers attended a number of flood-related jobs including flood rescues where the people involved had intentionally driven into floodwaters.”
The Lake Parramatta “waterfall” gushed while Toongabbie Creek also overflowed.
At the flood-prone Tucks Rd at Toongabbie, water levels were deep enough for residents to get out an inflatable dingy.
Darling Mills Creek, which feeds into the Parramatta River, also flooded.
At North Parramatta on Monday, North Rocks Rd between Church St and Loyalty Rd have been closed in both directions because a culvert collapsed.