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BACKGROUND
1. An application has been lodged by
Infrastructure NSW as a State Significant Development with the Department of
Planning, Industry and Environment (DPIE) seeking approval for the
Powerhouse Museum.
2. The application is on public exhibition
between 9 June 2020 and 7 July 2020. Council was notified on 9 June 2020 of
the exhibition. Submissions are due to the DPIE on 7 July 2020. Council
officers were made aware on 30 June 2020 that the DPIE extended the
exhibition period to 21 July 2020. The application will be determined
by the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces.
Willow Grove & St George’s
Terraces
3. Council at its meeting on 9 December
2019 in part resolved to reinforce its
unanimous support for the retention of Willow Grove and St George’s
Terrace in any future redevelopment of those sites.
THE NEED
FOR CULTURAL INFRASTRUCTURE
4. Recognising the historical lack of
investment for the arts and culture in Western Sydney, the opportunity for
the Powerhouse Museum as a catalyst to begin rebalancing the social and
cultural infrastructure within the Greater Sydney Area, is strongly
supported. Parramatta’s culturally and linguistically diverse
population will be benefitted by investment in local, accessible community
facilities, arts and cultural centres, likely to also see an increased demand
for jobs (2,300 jobs during construction and 3,000 ongoing), services
education and recreation.
5. In 2015, Deloitte[1] found that Western
Sydney represents 1 in 10 Australians yet attracts only 1% of Commonwealth
arts program funding, and 5.5 % of the State’s Cultural Arts, heritage
and events funding. Between 2011/12 and 2014/15 over $360 million was
invested in the state’s Cultural Arts infrastructure. Approximately 6%
of this was invested in Western Sydney, with the majority of this being at
the Castle Hill facility of the Powerhouse Museum.
6. Deloitte demonstrated that arts
spending in Western Sydney produces a significantly better return on
investment on a per attendee basis: $100 invested in cultural arts
institutions in Western Sydney subsidises 6.5 attendees, compared to 1.6
attendees in Eastern Sydney.
7. Parramatta’s current population,
let alone the new residents who will call Parramatta home in the coming two
decades (growing to 470,000 people), is significantly under-served by the
available cultural facilities in 2020. Western Sydney University[2] research shows
that compared with the City of Sydney LGA, Parramatta LGA has very few
cultural venues and spaces, both in absolute numbers (less than 10 per cent)
and per capita. While reflecting the largely suburban nature of the LGA as a
whole, it also indicates the relative lack of cultural spaces in the
Parramatta CBD.
8. Council’s adopted Culture and Our
City – A Cultural Plan for Parramatta’s CBD 2017 – 2022 identifies support for the Powerhouse Museum coming to
Parramatta and welcomes the State Government’s commitment to building a
truly iconic museum on the Parramatta riverbank.
THE
PROPOSAL
9. The application
seeks approval for the construction and delivery of the new Powerhouse
Parramatta (a contemporary museum focused on science and innovation),
including the following:
· site preparation works;
· demolition of existing buildings including the Riverbank Carpark,
and two local heritage items, ‘Willow Grove’ and ‘St
George’s Terraces’;
· construction of Parramatta Powerhouse with 7 major presentation
spaces, collaboration spaces supported with residential accommodation,
education and community spaces, film studio, commercial kitchen for research
and product development, research and archive library and a mix of retail
spaces;
· construction and establishment of the public domain within the
site; and
· operation
and use of Powerhouse Parramatta including use of the public domain provided
on the site to support programs and functions.
10. The Powerhouse Museum was the subject of a two
stage international design competition with the detailed design being
considered at Stage 2 of the competition process. The winning design by
Moreau Kusunoki (France) and Genton (Australia) was announced in December
2019 by the Competition Jury.
ASSESSMENT
11. This report
provides a summary of key issues identified as part of the Council Officer
assessment of the application. A more detailed assessment is included in the
draft submission provided at Attachment 1.
12. The opportunity for the Powerhouse Museum to contribute to the
realisation of an exceptional, world-class cultural and arts facility that
nurtures a thriving social and cultural
precinct for the City of Parramatta, is a once-in-a-generation
opportunity. The transformation and renewal of this key site at the
head of the Parramatta River and the northern anchor of Parramatta’s
Civic Link, commands a design that is second to none and which imparts an
outstanding legacy on the site and for the City.
13. The aspirations and commitment of the NSW Government to
strive for a world-class museum and cultural facility demonstrated through
the International Design Competition held during 2019 is acknowledged. While
the proposed scheme has many positive elements that will deliver a successful
museum there remain a number of key outstanding issues requiring
resolution.
14. There are
opportunities to improve the current design to ensure the museum development
also commands an unequivocal response in the way that it considers the holistic nature of the site’s unique heritage, archaeological
significance and its public domain. The submission at Attachment 1
requests that Council work collaboratively with the NSW State Government and
the Design Integrity Panel to further refine the proposed museum design.
15. Council’s Heritage Advisory Committee (Committee)
held an Extraordinary Committee meeting on 18 June 2020 to consider the
proposal given it proposes demolition of two heritage items. The Committee
has raised concerns with the development and considers that Willow Grove and
St George’s Terraces should be retained. Full details of the matters
raised by the Committee can be viewed at Attachment 2 which contains
the draft minutes of the Meeting. In accordance with normal practice these
minutes will be included in a report to a future Ordinary Meeting of Council
for Council endorsement but they have been provided to Council in this report
in draft form for Council’s consideration.
16. Following review by numerous technical specialists
and the Committee the assessment of the application identified the following
key matters:
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Heritage
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· The
application and the design have not demonstrated adequate consideration of
heritage and significant archaeology on the site.
· The
application has not demonstrated a robust strategy for Heritage Interpretation.
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Undercroft
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· The
proposed undercroft results in an undesirable design and amenity outcome
along the river foreshore. It is considered that the interface space
be removed and the design further developed to improve the built form
interface with the River Square & Foreshore.
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Civic Link
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· That
every endeavour should be made within the architectural and landscape
design to maintain a clear vista from Horwood Place through the building
and achieve a minimum 20m wide Civic Link.
· Further
design development is required to address the manner in which the Civic
Link terminates at the river.
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Flooding
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· The
flood strategy is to be reconsidered, with the Powerhouse Parramatta and
riverbank area to be redesigned to ensure flood conveyance around the site
and occupant safety for all proposed areas.
· Overland
flow floodwaters are not to be directed through the centre of the site and
the overland flow routes from Phillip Street must only be provided along
the eastern and western perimeters of the site, and be properly formed and
designed for conveyance and safety.
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Other Matters
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· That
the name Powerhouse Parramatta be reconsidered to a name that is more
symbolic and relevant to its Parramatta setting.
· Detailed
engineering plans of a turnaround facility at George Khattar Lane are to be
provided by the applicant with confirmation that these works are to be
completed as part of this project.
· The
Environmentally Sustainable Design report is to be updated to provide a
more appropriate commitment to meeting sustainable design objectives.
· A
Biodiversity Development Assessment Report to be provided addressing both
tree removal and the potential presence of the Southern Myotis bat.
· Further
details be provided in relation to the proposed coach and bus drop off at
Phillip Street.
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STAKEHOLDER
CONSULTATION
17. The
following stakeholder consultation has been undertaken in relation to this
matter:
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Date
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Stakeholder
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Stakeholder
Comment
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Council Officer Response
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Responsibility
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18 June
2020
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Heritage
Advisory Committee
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Refer draft
minutes at Attachment 2
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Matter has
been addressed in this report.
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Executive
Director City Planning and Design
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Councillor Consultation
18. The following is a summary
of the Councillor consultation that has been undertaken in relation to this
matter:
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Date
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Councillor
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Councillor
Comment
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Council
Officer Response
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Responsibility
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11 June
2020 (Email to all Councillors informing of exhibition and inviting initial
feedback)
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Cllr
Bradley
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That
Council resolved at its meeting on 9 December to support
and advocate for the retention of Willow Grove and St Georges Terraces
The need to
minimise flood damage
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Matter has
been addressed in this report.
Matter has
been included in the submission at Attachment 1.
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Executive
Director City Planning and Design
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Councillor
Workshop held on 22 June 2020
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All with
the exception of Cllr Barrak
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Cllr
Prociv, Bradley, Davis
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Concerned
with the treatment of Civic Link
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Matter has
been included in the submission at Attachment 1.
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Executive
Director City Planning and Design
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Cllr
Prociv, Bradley, Davis
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Concerned
with the approach to heritage
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Matter has
been included in this report and in the submission at Attachment 1.
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Executive
Director City Planning and Design
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Cllr Wearne
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Concerned
with the consideration of the Parramatta Sand Body
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Matter has
been included in the submission at Attachment 1.
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Executive
Director City Planning and Design
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Cllr Davis
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Questioned
the appropriateness of the name “Powerhouse Parramatta”
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Matter has
been included in the submission at Attachment 1.
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Executive
Director City Planning and Design
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CONCLUSION
19. This report provides Council the opportunity to consider a
submission to the DPIE on the EIS dated 2 June 2020 as part of the State Significant Development Application for the
Powerhouse Museum at 34-54 & 30B Phillip Street and 338 Church Street,
Parramatta. The draft Submission supports the proposed relocation of the
Powerhouse Museum to Parramatta, requests greater collaboration in the design of the scheme and to
work with the NSW Government on the matters in the Submission.
FINANCIAL
IMPLICATION FOR COUNCIL
20. There are no direct
financial implications for Council in making this submission.
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