By Councillor Scott
(A) Council note:
(i)
the Powerhouse
Museum is the major branch of the Museum of Applied Arts &
Sciences in Sydney, and owned by the NSW Government;
(ii)
the
Powerhouse Museum has a diverse
collection encompassing all sorts of technology including decorative arts,
science, communication, transport, costume, furniture,
media, computer technology, space technology and steam engines;
(iii) the Museum has existed under various names
for over 125 years, however, it was opened in 1988 as the Powerhouse;
(iv) Powerhouse staff and city of Sydney
community members have voiced their concerns over the upkeep of the historic
building, reporting that is has been extremely neglected, with a downgrade in
the number and quality of services and objects;
(v) the Ultimo Post Office adjoining the
Powerhouse Museum was heritage listed in 1999;
(vi) the Powerhouse Museum former warehouse
buildings, including the interiors, were heritage listed in 2020;
(vii) heritage architect Alan Croker reported that
the former NSW Liberal Government buried a Conservation Management Plan on the
heritage significance of the Ultimo Powerhouse Museum site;
(viii) the draft Conservation Management Plan is
reported to have found that the entire Ultimo site should have been placed in
the state heritage register in the 1980s;
(ix) the Conservation Management Plan published
by the former NSW Liberal Government last May was criticised by the National
Trust as “inadequate” and “not comprehensively address[ing]
the needs or values of the precinct”;
(x) the City of Sydney was also critical of the
former NSW Liberal Government’s failure to adequately address the heritage
value of the site in the City’s response to the Draft Concept Plan (DCP) in
2022;
(xi) that the State Significant Development
exhibited for public comment received 91 individual submissions of which 85
were objections and 15 submissions from community interest groups of which nine
were objections; and
(xii) that despite the many and manifest flaws in
the development, the then Planning Minister, Anthony Roberts, signed off on it
in February 2023, just before the NSW Government entered the caretaker period;
(B) the Chief Executive Officer be requested to
investigate the entire Powerhouse Museum site for heritage significance; and
(C) the Lord Mayor be requested to write to the
new Minister for the Arts, John Graham:
(i)
restating
the City of Sydney’s concerns;
(ii)
congratulating
him on his public commitment to ending the secrecy and lack of transparency
surrounding the Powerhouse Museum Ultimo site plans; and
(iii) requesting he take all possible steps to
ensure the heritage value of the site is respected and protected.
Note – at the meeting of Council, the content
of the original Notice of Motion was varied by Councillor Scott. Subsequently
it was –
Moved by Councillor Scott, seconded by
Councillor Ellsmore –
It is resolved that:
(A) Council note:
(i)
the Powerhouse
Museum is the major branch of the Museum of Applied Arts &
Sciences in Sydney, and owned by the NSW Government;
(ii)
the
Powerhouse Museum has a diverse
collection encompassing all sorts of technology including decorative arts,
science, communication, transport, costume, furniture,
media, computer technology, space technology and steam engines;
(iii)
the Museum
has existed under various names for over 125 years, however, it was opened in
1988 as the Powerhouse;
(iv)
Powerhouse
staff and city of Sydney community members have voiced their concerns over the
upkeep of the historic building, reporting that is has been extremely
neglected, with a downgrade in the number and quality of services and objects;
(v)
the
Ultimo Post Office adjoining the Powerhouse Museum was heritage listed in 1999;
(vi)
the
Powerhouse Museum former warehouse buildings, including the interiors, were heritage
listed in 2020;
(vii)
heritage
architect Alan Croker reported that the former NSW Liberal Government buried a
Conservation Management Plan on the heritage significance of the Ultimo
Powerhouse Museum site;
(viii)
the
draft Conservation Management Plan is reported to have found that the entire
Ultimo site should have been placed in the state heritage register in the
1980s;
(ix)
the
Conservation Management Plan published by the former NSW Liberal Government
last May was criticised by the National Trust as “inadequate” and “not
comprehensively address[ing] the needs or values of
the precinct”;
(x)
the
City of Sydney was also critical of the former NSW Liberal Government’s failure
to adequately address the heritage value of the site in the City’s response to
the Draft Concept Plan (DCP) in 2022;
(xi)
that
the State Significant Development exhibited for public comment received 91
individual submissions of which 85 were objections and 15 submissions from
community interest groups of which nine were objections; and
(xii)
that
despite the many and manifest flaws in the development, the then Planning
Minister, Anthony Roberts, signed off on it in February 2023, just before the
NSW Government entered the caretaker period;
(B)
the
Chief Executive Officer be requested to investigate the entire Powerhouse
Museum site for heritage significance; and
(C)
the
Lord Mayor be requested to write to the new Minister for the Arts, John Graham:
(i)
restating
the City of Sydney’s concerns;
(ii)
congratulating
him on his public commitment to ending the secrecy and lack of transparency
surrounding the Powerhouse Museum Ultimo site plans;
(iii)
reaffirming
that the site should remain in public ownership and control;
(iv)
requesting
he take all possible steps to ensure the heritage value of the site is
respected and protected; and
(v)
requesting
that he urgently review the contractual obligations entered into by the former
NSW Government for the site, and the project scope.
The motion was carried on the following show of hands –
Ayes (9) The Chair (the Lord Mayor), Councillors Chan, Davis, Ellsmore, Gannon, Kok, Scott, Weldon and Worling
Noes (1) Councillor Jarrett.
Motion carried.
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