Powerhouse Chief Executive Stands Aside Two Months Before Sydney's A$915 Million Museum Opening

The chief executive of Sydney's Powerhouse museum, Lisa Havilah, has stood aside pending investigations into governance and procurement at the institution, announced by New South Wales arts minister John Graham on 27 August 2026.

The departure comes just over two months before the official opening of Powerhouse Parramatta, an A$915 million museum project in western Sydney scheduled for 7 November 2026. David Borger, president of the Powerhouse Trust, said the museum would still open as planned on that date. The Art Newspaper

Powerhouse staff learned of the change via an email on 27 August from Melanie Hawyes, secretary of the NSW Department of Creative Industries, Tourism, Hospitality and Sport. The project will now be led by NSW government architect Abbie Galvin as interim chief executive, with former Sydney Opera House chief executive Louise Herron brought in as strategic advisor.

Havilah joined the Powerhouse in 2018 after seven years running Carriageworks, the Sydney arts precinct. Her tenure saw the Parramatta project move from concept to near-completion, one of the largest cultural infrastructure investments in Australia's history.

The investigations land against a backdrop of mounting scrutiny over the museum's spending. In July 2026, NSW Treasury executive Cassandra Wilkinson was appointed chief operating officer after the museum was criticised for spending more than A$70 million ahead of the grand opening. Among the costs that drew attention: A$10 million on LED screens, staging and a backdrop for an immersive experience by British artist Es Devlin, and a separate A$2.6 million "artistic consultants" programme that was axed earlier in 2026.

A NSW parliamentary inquiry into the structure and funding of the Powerhouse had already examined the museum's operations, with arts minister Graham and Havilah both questioned at a Budget Estimates hearing. Separately, the NSW government has committed A$250 million to a heritage revitalisation of the Powerhouse's original Ultimo site in central Sydney.

Whether the 7 November opening proceeds without its chief executive will be the immediate test for Galvin and Herron. The building is built. The questions are about the books behind it.