NSW government fails to produce Powerhouse Museum business case

The NSW Berejiklian government has failed to hand over a business case for its controversial Powerhouse Museum relocation, two weeks after its own MP crossed the floor to force its release.
Liberal backbencher Matthew Mason-Cox went against his party two weeks ago to compel the government to release the documents.
But the government on Thursday claimed to have no preliminary or final business case, nor advice, relevant to the order to explain the move from Sydneyâs Ultimo to Parramatta in the western suburbs.
The New Daily understands Labor, the Greens and the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party (SFF) will continue voting together to put pressure on the government when Parliament resumes next week.
Greens MLC David Shoebridge, who moved the order for papers earlier this month, told The New Daily the next move could include hitting the ânuclear buttonâ.
Earlier this month he said that âdot points ⌠summarised by a government keen to chop out inconvenient detailâ would not be acceptable.
A spokesperson for Arts Minister Don Harwin told The New Daily the government was moving ahead with the relocation.
âIt has been a thorough process and we will have more to say about this project in the near future.â
Itâs understood the government will release a summary business case in an upcoming announcement.
SFF leader Robert Borsak â who is chair of a parliamentary inquiry into the relocation, with Mr Shoebridge as deputy chair â called on the government to come clean.
âWhen weâre hearing privately that the Powerhouse Museum relocation decision is before cabinet, it astounds me that there are no documents being produced by the government in response to the call for papers by the upper house,â Mr Borsak said.
âThe government said they received a business case before December so they must have it or you have to call them liars.â
Former premier Mike Baird is expected to give evidence to the inquiry next month.
Laborâs shadow minister for the arts Walt Secord described the government as âarrogant and contemptuousâ.
âEither this is a massive cover-up, or worse, there is no business case at all. This is another example of the Berejiklian governmentâs culture of cover-up and lack of transparency.â
The Greens motion, passed earlier this month with the support of Labor and SFF, called for âthe preliminary and final business case for the relocation of the Powerhouse Museum from Ultimo to Parramattaâ.
It also called for âany legal or other advice regarding the scope or validity of this order of the House created as a result of this order of the Houseâ.
The Department of Premier and Cabinet, Premier Gladys Berejiklianâs office, Mr Harwinâs office, the Planning and Environment Department and Infrastructure NSW all said they had no such documents in their âpossession, custody or controlâ.
Mr Shoebridge said the government was âgetting to the point of farceâ.
âThis was an order of the Parliament and the Coalition government has again sought to avoid scrutiny this time alleging there is no preliminary or final business case to produce,â he said in a statement.
âThis is now a test of democracy between an increasingly unaccountable executive government and the Parliament.â
Earlier on Thursday, an open letter arranged by the Sydney Business Chamber urged Ms Berejiklian and Opposition Leader Luke Foley to continue with the project. It was signed by more than 30 organisations based in Western Sydney.
The fiercest opponents of the relocation â in the Greens and SFF â want to build Western Sydney a dedicated culture centre at a different site in Parramatta, instead of moving the Powerhouse.
That dedicated centre would respond to the areaâs âunique Aboriginal, colonial, and migrant historyâ, Mr Shoebridge told The New Daily earlier this month.
The parliamentary inquiry put the cost of the relocation at $1.5 billion, and heard the governmentâs proposed site is flood prone.








