The NSW Powerhouse Museum is facing significant leadership upheaval less than three months before the scheduled opening of its $915 million Parramatta site, as CEO Lisa Havilah has stepped aside amid ongoing governance concerns. The move comes amid scrutiny over budget management and internal investigations into procurement and governance practices.
Ms. Havilah, who has led the Powerhouse since 2019 and reports to NSW Arts Minister John Graham, announced her temporary departure on Thursday pending the outcome of a new inquiry into allegations related to the museum’s governance. The NSW Government Architect, Abbie Galvin, has been appointed interim chief executive, while former Sydney Opera House CEO Louise Herron has joined the project as a strategic adviser.
The leadership change follows recent operational upheaval, including the replacement last month of Chief Operating Officer Mark Wisldon with Treasury executive Cassandra Wilkinson. Wilkinson’s appointment was part of a move to tighten oversight of the museum’s operating budget after reports indicated more than $70 million had been spent well before the facility’s planned November 7 opening.
The turmoil has drawn sharp criticism from museum figures, including Lindsay Sharp, founding director of the original Powerhouse Museum and former director of London’s National Museum of Science and Industry. Sharp described the situation as unprecedented and “cataclysmic” for a cultural institution so close to a major launch.
“I have never come across anything like this,” Sharp said, citing mismanagement and bureaucratic failures. He called on Minister Graham to resign, accusing him of failing to fulfill promises of transparency and accountability regarding the project.
Minister Graham’s office declined to comment on the internal disputes and timing of Ms. Havilah’s departure. Graham is scheduled to appear before the NSW budget estimates committee on Monday, where the project’s finances and governance are expected to be key topics.
Ms. Havilah’s decision comes just days before she was to be questioned at the same budget estimates hearing amid broader concerns over the museum’s budget excesses and governance. The Powerhouse project, which aims to create a landmark cultural venue in Western Sydney, now faces uncertainty as it works to meet its looming opening date.
The NSW government has yet to clarify how the leadership transition will affect the museum’s timeline or overall direction, with stakeholders monitoring developments closely as the situation unfolds.