‘One of the dopiest ideas we’ve ever heard’: Fordham fires up over Willow Grove debacle

Ben Fordham has slammed “one of the worst ideas in political history” and given the NSW government both barrels in a fiery spray.

Radio host Ben Fordham has unleashed on the NSW State Government over fears one of Sydney’s oldest buildings could be left to collect dust in a storage facility.

Last year the historic Willow Grove was dismantled to make way for a new Powerhouse Museum being built in Parramatta.

It was done under the promise that the 1891-built villa would be rebuilt at a new site.

The historic Willow Grove before it was demolished. Picture: Monique Harmer

But the NSW National Trust announced in a statement on Monday that it has withdrawn from the Willow Grove Community Reference Group, a team set up by the state government to determine the building’s new location.

The National Trust said the building cannot be authentically reconstructed and no longer constitutes a conservation project, reiterating its opposition to the idea from the very beginning.

Jane Alexander, the organisation’s advocacy manager, said the $10m required to rebuild Willow Grove would be better used elsewhere.

“The enormous public investment required to rebuild Willow Grove would be far better invested in conserving existing heritage places,” she said.

Fordham called the whole western Sydney Powerhouse initiative one of the “dopiest ideas we’ve ever heard” and “one of the worst policy stuff-ups in NSW history” on his 2GB show on Monday.

“There’s a new but not unexpected development in one of the worst ideas in political history in NSW,” he said.

“The $1bn project at Parramatta is cursed. It’s been plagued by issues that have been smothered by brainless decisions.”

Ben Fordham called the Willow Grove decision “one of the worst ideas in political history in NSW”. Picture: AAP PHOTO / Melvyn Knipe

When the plan was announced back in 2015 it received backlash and criticism from the community and those in the heritage field.

Questions were raised over the practicality of demolishing and rebuilding the house, before a green ban was lifted by the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union, allowing it to be relocated.

Monday’s news did not come as a surprise to Fordham, who has also long-held doubts about the project.

“Well shock horror, who would have guessed? Well, to answer the question I reckon every man and his dog,” he said.

“When they said they would take it apart like Lego and build it somewhere else, I think we were all scratching our heads.”

Ms Alexander said another concern the National Trust has is that relocating Willow Grove to a new location could diminish the importance of other nearby sites like the Parramatta Female Factory.

“The National Trust (NSW) remains concerned that this will negatively impact the significance of the precinct and that it would be inappropriate to place a replica building on this site or others like it,” she said.

A ‘Save Willow Grove march in Parramatta last year. Picture: Facebook

Fordham said the Parramatta Powerhouse was a bad idea from the beginning and now a heritage building has been lost as a result.

“You knocked down a 150-year-old heritage home and then basically forgot about it. All because you were too arrogant to give up on a bad idea,” he said.

“There was never an appetite to rebuild Willow Grove, there was never a solid plan. They were making promises they were never going to keep.”