Parra News 26 January 2021

LOCAL NEWS
Car park bites the dust
Popular Parramatta car park to close down from this Monday, February 1
NICOLA BARTON
parra news » Tuesday, January 26, 2021
The Riverbank Car Park is preparing
to close indefinitely, to make
way for the budgeted $840 million
Powerhouse Parramatta project, Parra
News can reveal.
The car park, which is earmarked for
demolition as part of the Powerhouse
development plans, will close from February
1, despite the Powerhouse project
having yet received planning consent.
This means no demolition works are
able to take place on the car park until that
consent is received.
Car park users were recently notified of
the closure via email communications.
The closure marks the next step in
realising plans to build the museum on
the Parramatta River foreshore, despite
significant community pushback.
An Infrastructure NSW spokesperson
confirmed the car park will soon close,
to enable the construction of the Powerhouse
Parramatta.
“Infrastructure NSW is working with the
City of Parramatta to manage the car park
closure including communications with
The Riverbank Car Park in Parramatta will close down from this Monday.
car park users and the community,” the
spokesperson said.
“Although the car park will be closed,
work on site will not start until a planning
consent is received.”
A City of Parramatta Council spokesperson
told Parra News that they don’t predict
the closure of the Riverbank Car Park will
be of impact to drivers, or be of financial
impact to the council.
“Based on our analysis, City of
Parramatta Council has sufficient vacancy
across its CBD parking facilities to accommodate
the parking needs of customers
who would use Riverbank Car Park,” the
spokesperson said.
“Usage of these alternate car parks will
determine any financial impacts to council.”
The Riverbank Car Park is a 506 space,
24-hour multi-storey carpark off Dirrabarri
Lane, Parramatta.
Regular users are encouraged to now use
another of the city’s four secure car parks,
which include Eat Street, City Centre,
Parramatta Train Station and the Justice
Precinct.
Planning approval for the project is
expected to be handed down by the
Department of Planning early this year,
however there have been reports of delays.
Those in opposition of the plans remain
firm in their quest to save and preserve the
historic 19th century home and former
maternity hospital, Willow Grove, which
is also earmarked for demolition.
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