Sydney's Powerhouse Parramatta Under Scrutiny After Bosses Replaced

News / Museums and Institutions Sydney’s AUD$915m Powerhouse Parramatta Announces Opening Date and Programme Zian Chen

One of the world’s biggest new museum projects is facing scrutiny after officials stood aside amid ongoing investigations into institutional governance and alleged procurement misconduct. 

The controversy concerns the AUD $915 million (£478 million) Powerhouse Parramatta in New South Wales, which has been billed as one of the most significant cultural projects since the Sydney Opera House. Its chief executive since 2019, Lisa Havilah, departed last week after misconduct allegations surfaced, it was revealed in a budget estimates hearing on Monday.

Havilah, along with the institution’s chief operating officer Mark Wilsdon, is on leave with full pay while the investigation is ongoing. Officials at the 31 August hearing declined to specify details of the misconduct allegations, citing the ongoing investigation and confidentiality of protected interest disclosures. 

When questioned by the committee chair, Melanie Hawyes, the secretary of the department of creative industries, tourism, hospitality, and sport (DCITHS) cited “multiple concerns” including a whistleblower complaint made in September 2025 and newer unspecified allegations leading up to Havilah’s departure last week. 

She also emphasised the need for “fair and due process” to be respected, and noted that the interim arrangements that were put in place “should not be taken as any sort of sense of a sanction or a finding”.

An external law firm, Landers & Rogers, has been engaged and the concerns have been reported to a government agency, the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC). 

Arts minister John Graham did appear to confirm a specific investigation regarding a procurement engagement that began in May 2025. The spend fell within Havilah’s discretionary spending allowance, which permits the museum’s chief executive to approve up to AUD $5 million (£2.7 million) in procurement expenses without governance or ministerial sign off.

Graham said he approved a formal misconduct investigation in December 2025 following an initial “fact-finding” mission in March. He also said that Wilsdon is “providing significant information” to the investigation. 

Further potential clues to the details surfaced during the cross-bench grilling of the arts minister on 31 August, when the committee chair raised reported links between senior officials and an advertising agency, Ki Community, which was cofounded by a former Powerhouse trustee. MP Chris Raith also raised media reports of, among other complaints, an alleged AUD $2 million (£1.06 million) marketing spend that went to “a former board trustee”. The arts minister confirmed that “some of” Raith’s complaints form part of the investigation, but did not share more specific details. 

Other details, however, have emerged in the press. The president of the Powerhouse trust, David Borger, told the Sydney Morning Herald that the Ki Community contract was brought to the board in May, and that it had raised “concerns around conflict of interest and potential unfair advantage” and subsequently referred the decision to Procurement NSW for review.

Government architect Abbie Galvin is leading the organisation as interim chief executive. Cassandra Wilkinson, a treasury official, is acting as interim chief operating officer. Ocula reached out to Havilah, Wilson and the DCITHS for comment.

In the works since 2015, Powerhouse Parametta is slated to open its new 18,000 square metres of public and exhibition space on 7 November. Opening programming includes exhibitions on explorations of air travel and the cultural significance of the shopping mall, and an Es Devlin exhibition is slated down the line.