Arts Minister Don Harwin has further found himself in hot water over comments made during a hearing about the management of the Powerhouse Museum.

Ray Hadley has been fiercely campaigning against the destruction of Parramatta’s Willow Grove, built circa 1886, which will be dismantled and rebuilt offsite to make way for the Western Sydney branch of the museum.

The CFMEU also joined the campaign, instituting a green ban to prevent work from going ahead.

Mr Harwin was forced to retract a statement during the upper house hearing, after accusing CFMEU NSW Secretary Darren Greenfield of withdrawing from a meeting about the issue which Mr Harwin himself cancelled.

“I did not cancel their meetings, and obviously someone prompted him after leaving the inquiry that he’d better get back in there and retract that,” Mr Greenfield told Ray.

The CFMEU, who do not oppose the construction of the Powerhouse Museum in Parramatta but contend heritage buildings must not be destroyed in the process, believe there is still hope for Willow Grove.

“I think we can win it still.

“The submissions [the government] got were overwhelmingly against Willow Grove being moved, but they’ve just ignored that.”

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Image: Hanna Lassen/Getty Images