Tuesday 8 August 2017

The Powerhouse has successfully operated from Ultimo since 1893 and in its current adapted reuse building since 1988. Ultimo is the city’s creative and innovation hub, a leader in digital start-ups and close to cultural institutions, Darling Harbour and higher education, which all link with the museum’s core science, technology and design purpose. Much of the extensive collection is not on display and the Powerhouse could have been extended into Western Sydney while retaining the Ultimo museum, and exhibitions and displays could complement each other.

Ultimo Powerhouse Museum supporters will be disappointed that the government is still considering sale of the building, commercialisation and apartments on a site with rare public open space in what is already the most densely populated precinct in the country. The government must stop seeing the inner city as a ‘cash cow’ at the expense of community and city liveability and I will fight any sale of this important public asset and further overdevelopment in the region.