Back in March 2020 I posed the question of Powerhouse at Parramatta – A cultural reality? In summary, I believed that there was a risk that the cultural plan of City of Parramatta and the Civic Link were to be lost. I am now pleased that City of Parramatta Council has continued its support for the new Powerhouse Museum in its current location as modified, allowing for the Civic Link flowing through the new Powerhouse Museum, completing plans for the reality of this important link from Parramatta station to the river. This is a most important outcome for the river city of Parramatta.

Making way for the Civic Link through to the river, and allowing for an appropriate Powerhouse Museum floorplan, has been a complex undertaking. It is a just decision to move the historic Willow Grove and I urge those planning its move to give respect to every brick that is taken down and built back up on its future site.

A river city will always need to plan for flooding. As called on by the City of Parramatta in past responses on the Powerhouse Museum project, the latest design has a full flood risk and stormwater addendum, outlining the shelter-in-place strategy to deal with emergency management, similar to that designed for Bankwest stadium and other buildings along the river.

Just like the new Council building at 5 Parramatta Square, the new Powerhouse Museum is a critical part of the development of Parramatta, even more so given the importance to the scale for cultural & scientific exhibitions. If either of these buildings were to hinder permeability and connection through Parramatta they will have failed. I am happy to see that neither will do so, and both Parramatta Square and Civic Link will come to reality opening up Parramatta to its local community.