Powerhouse Parramatta Opens as Governance Questions Linger

Billed by the New South Wales government as Australia’s largest cultural development since the Sydney Opera House opened in 1973, Powerhouse Parramatta has revealed its opening programme ahead of its public launch on 7 November, weeks after its chief executive stood aside amid investigations into governance and procurement.

The $915m museum on the banks of the Parramatta River will open with a 23-day festival of 179 events, as the New South Wales government prepares to launch Western Sydney’s first state cultural institution after a turbulent final phase of the project.

Five inaugural exhibitions anchor the opening. Task Eternal features more than 850 objects, with loans from NASA, the Smithsonian, MIT and the British Museum, alongside James Turrell’s Shangri La (Over the Hump) (2026). Overflow includes seven community commissions developed with Aboriginal-led organisations across New South Wales, while The Turning is British artist Es Devlin’s first major Australian exhibition. The festival line-up also features science-fiction writer Ted Chiang, Indian artist Bharti Kher and the first Australian edition of the Jaipur Literature Festival.

The opening comes at a difficult moment for Powerhouse. On 27 August, chief executive Lisa Havilah, who spent seven years shaping the project, stood aside pending investigations into governance and procurement. Specific allegations have yet to be made public, but NSW Parliament was told of ‘serious’ allegations involving two executives. An initial investigation was launched in March 2025 after a staff whistleblower made a protected complaint.

The current scrutiny follows years of controversy surrounding the development. The project faced sustained criticism over the demolition of Willow Grove, a heritage-listed Victorian mansion on the Parramatta site, as well as warnings about flood risk given its location beside the Parramatta River.

NSW government architect Abbie Galvin is serving as interim chief executive ahead of the opening. But when the museum welcomes its first visitors in November, the investigations into the organisation’s governance and procurement will still be underway.