Crisis has engulfed Sydney’s major, A$915m museum project Powerhouse Parramatta, with its chief executive officer Lisa Havilah stepping aside just over two months before the official opening.
The arts minister for New South Wales (NSW), John Graham, announced today (27 August) that Havilah had stood aside pending “investigations into governance and procurement” at the Powerhouse.
Powerhouse Paramatta has been touted as the biggest cultural infrastructure development in New South Wales since the Sydney Opera House opened in 1973. When completed it will be the largest museum ever built in the state. David Borger, the president of the Powerhouse Trust, told the Australian Broadcasting Commission that the museum would still open as planned on 7 November.
A major community day will be held, with a special ribbon-cutting and access to all five of the museum’s ambitious new exhibitions, including Task Eternal, which is about space travel.
Powerhouse staff learned of Havilah’s departure via an email on Thursday (27 Aug) from Melanie Hawyes, the secretary of the Department of Creative Industries, Tourism, Hospitality and Sport.
“As you would be aware from recent media reports, there is an ongoing investigation into matters relating to governance and procurement practices at the Powerhouse,” Hawyes wrote. “After speaking with the chief executive earlier today, Lisa Havilah will be standing aside while the investigation is completed.”
She continued: “I recognise that this news comes at a significant time for the organisation, as we prepare for the opening of Powerhouse Parramatta. I know how much work, commitment and personal energy all of you have invested in reaching this milestone, and I want to assure you that there will be no impact to the existing programmes of work, or the opening on 7 November.”
The Powerhouse was designed by French-Japanese architectural firm Moreau Kusunoki, working alongside Australian practice Genton. The building features more than 18,000 square metres of public and exhibition space.
There are seven large-scale, column-free exhibition spaces spread across two interconnected buildings. There is a rooftop terrace and garden, and temporary accommodation for students, artists and scientists.
Lisa Havilah joined the Powerhouse in 2018 following a seven-year stint as the chief executive officer of Carriageworks, the Sydney arts precinct.
The Powerhouse project will now be led by the NSW government architect Abbie Galvin, who will step in as chief executive officer, and former Sydney Opera House chief executive officer Louise Herron as strategic advisor.
The NSW Treasury executive Cassandra Wilkinson was appointed as the Powerhouse’s chief operating officer in July after the Powerhouse was criticised for spending more than A$70 million in the lead-up to the grand opening in November.
A Sydney Morning Herald investigation has reported that the Powerhouse spent large sums in a number of areas. This includes A$10 million on LED screens, staging and backdrop for an immersive experience created by the British artist Es Devlin.
An “artistic consultants” programme costing A$2.6 million in which numerous creative professionals were hired to help develop projects at the Powerhouse was axed earlier this year.
