The Chris Minns鈥 Labor government made the surprise announcement聽it was closing the Powerhouse Museum for renovations for up to three years just before the holiday period. It is scheduled to close on February 5.
The Save the Powerhouse (STP) group is concerned that Labor is going back on its promise to end the secrecy surrounding this much loved and internationally admired arts and sciences museum.
Arts minister John Graham promised after Labor鈥檚 election that it would end 鈥渢he shroud of secrecy that the [Coalition] NSW Government has 鈥 applied across the operations of The Powerhouse Museum for the past 12 years鈥.
But with no consultation, Graham announced last December 4 that the museum will close 鈥渇or building and conservation works expected to take聽up to three years鈥.
However, this timing is far from certain. 聽and 鈥溾澛爓ebpages both state that 鈥渢iming for construction commencement and completion is subject to the outcomes of the planning and procurement processes鈥.
According to the STP, this 鈥渁ppears to mean that the Museum will be closed for much longer than 3 years鈥. It is concerned that the 鈥渢iming for construction commencement鈥 is not yet known, but the museum is closing in less than 4 weeks鈥 time.
鈥淭he Powerhouse is well loved and respected internationally as one of the world top Applied Arts and Sciences Museums,鈥 the STP said, adding that successive NSW governments, including the present one which has only been in power for less than a year, have submitted it to 鈥渦nprecedented assaults鈥.
A long-running聽campaign has been waged since 2015 to keep the museum open in Ultimo, even while a new one was being built in Parramatta. Finally, in 2020, the former Coalition government announced it had abandoned its plan to close Ultimo and would retain its building and operation across two sites.
鈥淕raham promised to consult the community widely and transparently before any decision was taken. But he chose to announce instead that he would close the Museum for years without notice or reason,鈥 STP said on January 9.
The museum鈥檚 still secret 鈥渞evitalisation鈥 project is estimated to cost $250 million. However, according to the budget papers, only $119 million over the next 4 years has been budgeted. The remaining $131 million is scheduled to be spent between 2027 and 2033.
STP said museum experts agree that maintenance and upgrades could be carried out while the museum remains open. 鈥淭his would save tens of millions of dollars in collection transfers, with obvious risks of damage to invaluable objects.鈥
The INSW website states that 鈥渁s part of the State Significant Development Application, consultation with the community will be undertaken鈥.
But this will be too late as the Museum will then be closed and the collections exiled, STP said.
[ to keep the Powerhouse Museum open while renovations are being undertaken.]