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Culture and our City

Parramatta Powerhouse (MAAS)

Latest Update

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January 2024

Work continues at the Powerhouse Parramatta site with the core of all three buildings progressing, and more than 70% of the building’s distinctive white exoskeleton pieces installed.

Truss pieces – the heaviest elements of the exoskeleton – are also being installed on Building B (eastern building). These truss pieces connect to Building A (western building) and will form the structural level of the 2nd floor of the building.

Exterior precast concrete panels have begun to be fixed to Building A and installation of panels to buildings A and B will continue throughout January.

Other works:

  • Installation of escalator in Building A
  • Services work, including electrical and stormwater, continues including storm water diversions in Wilde Avenue
  • Large pieces of structural steel continue to be delivered outside of standard construction hours
  • Landscaping continues on the western side of the site between Meriton Suites and the Parramatta River.

For the latest Powerhouse Parramatta news see here

Watch a video of construction over the past year.

More information
For construction-related questions, feedback or complaints:
P: 1800 574 931
E: powerhouse@lendlease.com
W: insw.com/powerhouseparramatta
If you need an interpreter, please call TIS National on 13 14 50 and ask them to call Infrastructure NSW on 1800 931 109 between 8am - 5pm.
 
 

Previous updates
  • October 2023

    Work at the Powerhouse Parramatta site continues. All three building cores and their jump forms are progressing. Concrete works continue on the northern section of the site, adjacent to the river. This is now a second area where steel will be assembled.

    Structural steel work continues to progress

    • 19 ‘A’ exoskeleton pieces have now been installed across Building B (eastern building) and Building A (western building).
    • On Building B, ring beams have been installed on top of the ‘A’ pieces. These ring beams will allow the connection of large steel truss elements that will span the width of the exhibition space below.
    • Assembly of the truss pieces commenced in early October, ready to be lifted into place. The truss pieces are the heaviest pieces of steel, weighing approximately 50 tonnes each and spanning approximately 45 metres long and over 4 metres deep. 
    • Large pieces of structural steel continue to be delivered outside of standard construction hours
    • A construction compound has been built next to Parramatta River
    • Concrete works continue.
  • June 2023

    Out of hours works in Phillip Street

    From Sunday 18 June 2023 work will take place in Phillip Street Work, at the intersection of Wilde Avenue, to enable water services into the site and construction of a new water main.

    Due to the work required in the road, these works will be completed outside of standard construction hours, between 9pm and 5am.

    Activity each night will involve road saw cutting, excavating a trench across the road, and installing and connecting new water mains and services.

    The road will be reinstated at the end of the work and water supply to surrounding properties will not be affected.

    Pedestrian footpaths will remain unaffected.

    Traffic control will be in place to manage vehicle traffic, with work on the road appropriately staged to ensure vehicle access remains available throughout each night shift.

    At the end of each shift, road plates will be installed to allow traffic to resume throughout the day Work is expected to take one week to complete.

    More information

    For construction-related questions, feedback or complaints:
    P: 1800 574 931
    E: powerhouse@lendlease.com
    W: insw.com/powerhouseparramatta
    If you need an interpreter, please call TIS National on 13 14 50 and ask them to call Infrastructure NSW on 1800 931 109. Our business hours are 8am - 5pm.

  • January 2023

    Work is back at the Powerhouse Parramatta site and there is lots happening. The third and final crane has been installed, Building A and Building B are underway and service works continue in Dirrabarri Lane and Wilde Avenue.

    From 30 January, out of hours deliveries for oversized deliveries of steel will begin.

    Read the January 2023 newsletter for details.

    More information

    For more information, visit the Powerhouse Parramatta website insw.com/powerhouseparramatta

    To subscribe to Powerhouse Parramatta updates and newsletters click here 
    Sign up to receive updates on the Powerhouse Parramatta. (confirmsubscription.com)

    Contact the Powerhouse Parramatta project team

    For construction-related questions, feedback or complaints: call
    1800 574 931 or email powerhouse@lendlease.com

  • December 2022

    Tower crane delivery and nightworks 12 December 2022 to 7 January 2023

    Construction activity is well underway at the Powerhouse Parramatta project site. The next phase of construction involves the installation of the final free-standing tower crane (Tower crane 3) to assist with the movement of heavy materials on site. 

    Tower crane 3 is scheduled to be established in two stages from Monday 12 December 2022 to Saturday 7 January 2023:

    Stage one: Monday 12 December to Wednesday 21 December 2022
                       Deliveries, static base and tower installation. 
    Stage two: Wednesday 4 January to Saturday 7 January 2023
                       Remaining crane and commissioning. 

    It is a TfNSW requirement that deliveries of this size occur out of hours. Traffic control will be in place to support vehicle movements.

    Deliveries will take place between 3.30am and 5.30am on all days (except Sunday). Trucks will be parked up until 7am for unloading.

    All other construction activities will be carried out during the approved construction hours:
    •    Monday to Friday, 7am to 6pm
    •    Saturday, 8am to 1pm.

    Water main works 12 – 16 December including nightworks

    Construction activity is well underway at the Powerhouse Parramatta project site. The next phase of construction involves connecting pipework to the water main located on Phillip Street to supply water to the site.

    Work to install and commission the water connections is scheduled from Monday 12 to Friday 16 December (weather permitting) with work to take place between 8pm and 4am.

    Work on Phillip Street will require partial road closures. At the completion of each stage of work, the work zone will be removed, and work areas protected to allow normal operation of Phillip Street during the day.

    Strict environmental and planning controls are in place to manage noise, dust and vibration. 

    Click here Water main connection (insw.com) for more details on the planned works.

    More information
    For more information, visit the Powerhouse Parramatta website insw.com/powerhouseparramatta

    To subscribe to Powerhouse Parramatta updates and newsletters click here 
    Sign up to receive updates on the Powerhouse Parramatta. (confirmsubscription.com)

    Contact the Powerhouse Parramatta project team

    For construction-related questions, feedback or complaints: call
    1800 574 931 or email powerhouse@lendlease.com

  • October 2022

    Work at site is progressing with approximately 35,000 tonnes of soil removed off-site and 230 piles drilled and installed.

    Work has begun on the Hydraulic Formwork Systems including the construction of the three concrete cores that will contain the lifts and stairs of the building.

    Work on three new substations, sewer and stormwater continues in Dirrabarri Lane.

    In September, the first of three tower cranes was installed with the remaining two cranes scheduled for installation in November and December.

    One of the cranes joining the Powerhouse Parramatta site is a Favelle Favco M2480D – the world’s largest luffing crane.  The M2480D will lift 100 tonnes to a 45-meter radius with around 130 meters of hook height and no support ties.

    Upcoming construction activities: October - November

    • Tower crane 2 to be installed
    • Concrete placement to foundation structure
    • Formwork systems added to building cores
    • Structural steel install.

     For more information and the latest updates visit

    https://insw.com/powerhouseparramatta

  • June 2022

    Following a competitive tender process Lendlease Building has been appointed the main construction works contract and is now responsible for managing the site. See the Latest Updates for more information.

    Read the June 2022 Construction update from Infrastructure NSW.

    For more information:

    See the Library section on the Infrastructure NSW website or subscribe to receive project updates.

    Ask a question using the details below:

    Email: powerhouse@lendlease.com 

    Phone: 1800 574 931

New museum and cultural precinct to transform Parramatta

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City of Parramatta Lord Mayor Cr Andrew Wilson has welcomed the State Government’s commitment to establishing a new flagship Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences (MAAS) in the heart of Sydney’s Central City.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced that the State’s largest museum will be built on the Parramatta riverbank. With 18,000 sqm of exhibition and public spaces, it will have a science and technology focus and include the largest planetarium in Australia.

This will be complemented by a dedicated play and learning space devoted to STEAM, children’s spaces, cafes, bars, retail, and event and function spaces.

The museum, which will open in 2023, will be an anchor for a new arts and cultural precinct in Parramatta, which will include revamped Riverside Theatres and a new pedestrian bridge across the river.

In 2017, the City of Parramatta Council and the NSW Government signed a Heads of Agreement (or contract) for Council’s Riverbank site and to create a new cultural precinct on the Parramatta River.

Under the Agreement, the NSW Government will pay Council $140 million for the Riverbank site, otherwise known to locals as the old David Jones carpark site.

$100 million will be invested to enlarge and enhance the Riverside Theatres

Council used the agreement to leverage proceeds of its land sale to fund enhancements and upgrades to Riverside Theatres on the current theatre site.

The remaining $40 million will be used over 20 years to deliver Council’s 2017-2021 Cultural Plan.

Great cultural, education and other community benefits for locals and visitors

Council’s consultation to develop a Cultural Plan showed that attracting the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences and growing Riverside Theatres were the communities’ two key cultural priorities.

A world class museum in Parramatta will be an important new focus for cultural and education development. Together, the Museum and the enhanced and enlarged Riverside Theatres will be first class educational resources for students as well as vibrant forums for local cultural industry development.

The cultural precinct is predicted to be both a local and an international tourist destination with the potential to draw up to one million visitors a year.

The cultural precinct will be a big stimulus for our local economy and jobs

Modelling by Deloitte shows that by 2028 the new cultural precinct will grow the local economy by between $106 million and $422 million (NPV).

Employment is also expected to increase strongly both in the construction and operational phases of the new precinct. Once the museum is operational, local jobs are expected to increase by between 150 and 600 new full-time equivalent jobs.

Riverside Theatres legacy will be protected

While Riverside is much loved, a number of studies have shown that the theatre is aged, lacks accessibility, has limits to its capacity to attract a full range of productions and requires improved facilities.

Through the Heads of Agreement, Council has set out a number of requirements that will ensure Riverside’s legacy continues including that:

  • The theatre must build on the valued brand of the existing Riverside Theatres
  • It must seek to maintain its connection with current audiences and continue to provide opportunity for educational and cultural industry development
  • It must be of architectural distinction, design excellence and twenty-first century functionality
  • It must meet future demand for high quality diverse local, Australian and global performance
  • It must meet certain operational financial performance conditions.

Further, Council will retain ownership of the Riverside Theatres land.

Ratepayers will benefit as well

The Riverbank site is being sold for $140 million, which is in line with Council’s commercial valuations of the land.

Council acquired the site for around $40 million of cash and through a negotiated agreement with a developer. In the Heads of Agreement, Council has agreed that $100 million of the proceeds will be invested in the enhanced Riverside Theatres.

Council has agreed it will invest the remaining cash of $40 million to implement the Cultural Plan over the next 20 years.

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