POWERHOUSE: What now?

From: Grace Cochrane <gracecochrane@bigpond.com>

Date: Sunday, 7 April 2019 at 4:54 pm

To: 'Grace Cochrane' <gracecochrane@bigpond.com.au>

Subject: Powerhouse Museum: AFTER THE ELECTION, WHAT NOW?

POLITICAL AND COMMUNITY OPPOSITION TO PHM RELOCATION CONTINUES!

Following the narrow win by the Liberal/National coalition for state government in NSW, there has been considerable criticism of strategies Premier Berejiklian is putting in place. Many significant departments have been amalgamated into super-ministries, such as Environment being absorbed into the Planning and Industry department. The emphasis appears to be even more on ‘development’.

However, Linda Morris writes that: ‘Labor and the Greens have rejected any suggestion the Coalition has a fresh mandate to shift the Powerhouse at a capital cost of $1.1 billion and use the proceeds from the institution's redeveloped Ultimo site without oversight. Greens MLC David Shoebridge, deputy chairman of the long-running Upper House inquiry which recommended the project be abandoned, is hoping to gather enough crossbench support with Labor to re-establish a select committee in the arts portfolio’ to monitor the governance of the arts and culture sector in New South Wales, with particular reference to the governance and management of the Powerhouse Museum relocation project.

‘The two-and-a-half-year parliamentary inquiry had urged the Powerhouse Museum be given a cash injection and restored to its former glory, while Parramatta would receive funding for its own, separate ''world-class'' institution… But the NSW Premier insisted there was no turning back: ''The Powerhouse in western Sydney is part of the future of western Sydney.'' ‘ 

We understand that the Government must ‘respond’ to the Inquiry report within six months.

You can check the Powerhouse Museum Alliance web page for recent News reports: https://powerhousemuseumalliance.com/find-out-more/a-news-chronology/    … as well as Letters to the Editor and Inquiry transcripts and report. And you can have your say on our Facebook page!

Many thanks to everyone for your continuing support. And let’s encourage our local MPs to advocate for the recommendations of the Inquiry.  For the Inquiry Committee’s Final Report: Read more and Read more

Grace

(for the Powerhouse Museum Alliance).

Grace Cochrane AM

25 Morris Street, Summer Hill,

NSW 2130, Australia

61 (0)2 97986821; 61 (0)4 25215244

gracecochrane@bigpond.com

curator.writer.consultant

MFA, PhD (Tas)   D.Litt (UNSW)