The New South Wales government have decided against relocating Ultimo’s Powerhouse Museum. The museum was set to be relocated to Parramatta, in western Sydney, however, the new plans allow for both locations to be operational concurrently.
The industrial science museum in Ultimo will no longer be closed, with its artefacts and exhibits moved to Parramatta. The NSW government had previously planned to sell the Ultimo site for around $195 million, with the funds then going towards the building of the new site in Parramatta.
The relocation was set to cost between $420 million and $645 million, with the phased closure of the Ultimo site beginning on July 1st. The Powerhouse Museum in Ultimo will now stay open and fully operational.
The construction of the new Powerhouse museum in Parramatta is expected to create more than 1,100 jobs, and a further 2,400 indirect jobs. The museum is expected to employ hundreds of residents upon its opening.
The state’s treasurer, Dominic Perrottet, described the Powerhouse at Parramatta as the “jewel-in-the-crown” for the museum of applied arts and sciences. “What’s most important is that the destination that we’ve reached is the right decision for the people of our state,” said Dominic. “In a COVID world, we’ve had to look at new ways of doing things. We’ll have a world-class facility for the people of western Sydney, a world-class facility here in Ultimo and that’s what our people deserve here in our state.”
Parramatta Lord Mayor, Bob Dwyer, said he was pleased the government was “still committed to delivering a world-class museum in Parramatta. The decision to retain the Powerhouse Museum at Ultimo should not compromise the investment we were promised for an iconic cultural institution in western Sydney,” added Bob.
The Powerhouse Parramatta location is still expected to open in 2023, after a statement from the New South Wales government last year outlined their progress.
The new Powerhouse at Parramatta remains on course and will be used to embrace many elements of the vast collection owned by MAAS. The curatorial strategy is exciting and unique, with the site at Ultimo in Sydney’s CBD set to undergo a new re-imagining and will be able to offer access for new audiences as well as regeneration of both sites.
Image Courtesy of The New Powerhouse – Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences
