Heritage listing expanded for Powerhouse Museum Ultimo site

ABC NEWS (Australia)

One of Sydney's most popular cultural institutions will be protected forever after an expanded heritage listing. It means despite shifting redevelopment plans, the Powerhouse Museum in Ultimo must remain a museum.

Transcript

00:00It's long been a drawcard for young and old.

00:05The Powerhouse Museum's Ultimo site is now at a turning point.

00:10This listing is an exciting moment in the history of the Powerhouse in terms of securing

00:15its future and the precinct's future in its location in Ultimo.

00:21Plans for the precinct have long shifted.

00:23The previous Liberal government intended on demolishing parts of the complex for a mixed

00:27cultural and commercial development.

00:30Now changes to the building's heritage listing mean the entire site must remain exclusively

00:36as a museum.

00:37This listing recognises our community's connection with this museum, but it also enables the

00:43museum to move forward with this new revitalisation project.

00:47Protections which previously only covered the original power station have now been expanded

00:52to include the RAND building and the Galleria.

00:56Plans are already underway to restore those buildings and give the area a $300 million

01:01facelift.

01:02There's been a bit of concern in the past that maybe the museum would be closed.

01:08This is yet more proof, absolutely, that it won't be, that instead what we're going to

01:13have is a brilliant new facility with the kind of revitalisation that you can only manage

01:19once in a century.

01:20It's been six months since the Powerhouse closed and it's since been completely emptied.

01:25The government's hoping a builder can be appointed by the end of the year and work

01:28can begin in 2025.

01:31More than 3,000 objects have been relocated as part of the big move out.

01:36The biggest is the World War II era Catalina, which will be exhibited temporarily at the

01:41Haas Aviation Museum in Albion Park.

01:44Over at the Powerhouse Parramatta site, things are taking shape.

01:48And so we're really moving into that next final stage of the construction of the museum.

01:54Powering up to put a new future on display.

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