Major flooding wreaked havoc across Greater Western Sydney over the weekend, as parts of NSW grapple with a once-in-a-century rain event.
Heavy rain plummeted across Parramatta with the swelling waters of the Parramatta River breaking its banks on Saturday at the Charles Street Weir and Ferry Wharf.
Supporters of the ‘Save Willow Grove’ campaign are using the extreme weather to renew their calls to preserve the 19th century historic home, slated to be dismantled to make way for the Powerhouse Parramatta project, as parts of the proposed museum’s site are now under water.
The State Government has received continuous criticism for the project, which is to be built on flood prone land, resulting in Infrastructure NSW revising the design to “withstand large and rare flooding events”.
It’s the second time in 13 months the site has experienced flooding.
“The February 2020 flood was a rare one-in-20-year event, they said and just over a year later this flood looks like it will be even higher,” North Parramatta Residents Action Group (NPRAG) spokesperson Suzette Meade said.
“The torrent of floodwaters across the museum site highlights the reckless stupidity of the government pushing ahead with the museum project that will put treasures of NSW at risk.”
Despite flood concerns, President of the Powerhouse Trust, Peter Collins assures the event over the weekend would have not come within four metres of the future Powerhouse Parramatta ground floor.
“What the weekend demonstrates is that our new museum, western Sydney’s first cultural institution, is positioned well above even the rarest of flood events,” he said.
“Powerhouse Parramatta will be a very safe building for people to visit and for the collection to be exhibited.
“We have the world’s best engineers ensuring every detail of the design puts the welfare of visitors and collection first.”
According to a Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences statement, analysis by international engineering and flood specialists ARUP indicates the flood water would have only just entered the riverfront undercroft, an area underneath the new museum not used by the public that is built into the design to allow the passage of flood water.
With more rain forecasted over the coming days, Parramatta residents are urged to stay vigilant on the roads and avoid driving when possible.
The Australian Government has extended financial assistance to Parramatta and Cumberland Local Government areas, activating the Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment (AGDRP) and Disaster Recovery Allowance (DRA) to support those impacted by flooding.
The public is also being reminded to donate responsibly, with NSW Minister for Police and Emergency Services David Elliott asking people to take advantage of the official partnership in place between the State Government and GIVIT.
Those seeking to claim financial assistance can check their eligibility at http://www.disasterassist.gov.au or call, 180 22 66.
Troy Dodds is Parra News' Managing Editor and Breaking News Reporter. He has more than 20 years experience as a journalist, working with some of Australia’s leading media organisations. In 2023, he was named Editor of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.