{"id":82637,"date":"2025-05-27T21:41:46","date_gmt":"2025-05-28T01:41:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/autosector.com\/?p=82637"},"modified":"2025-05-27T21:41:46","modified_gmt":"2025-05-28T01:41:46","slug":"tesla-cant-lease-property-in-australia-because-ceo-musk-is-so-redacted","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/?p=82637","title":{"rendered":"Tesla can’t buy land in Australia because CEO Elon Musk is so ‘[redacted]’\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n\t\"Elon<\/figure>\n

Tesla is trying to use a piece of property in Australia, near Adelaide, in order to build a battery factory and Tesla showroom. But it\u2019s facing steep opposition from locals, most of whom cite dissatisfaction with Tesla CEO Elon Musk as their reason to oppose the project.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The plans center on Marion<\/a>, a small city of population 4,101, a suburb of Adelaide, the capital of South Australia.<\/p>\n

Last month, a developer submitted plans<\/a> to use a piece of land referred to as Chestnut Court Reserve, which has been inaccessible to the public since 2016 due to contamination concerns. Plans to develop the location would involve a requirement to clean up the contamination on the site.<\/p>\n

They would also involve the cutting of several trees on the site, some of which have been deemed as \u201cdead or ill health,\u201d with a plan to plant trees at another site to make up for any removals.<\/p>\n

\tAdvertisement – scroll for more content<\/span><\/p>\n

The developer said it would use this land to build a new fit-for-purpose factory facility that would be used by Tesla both as a showroom and service center for Tesla vehicles, and also a facility that could be used for \u201crepurposing of Tesla batteries.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n

The plan doesn\u2019t go too deep into the specifics of how said repurposing would happen, but it could involve using Tesla vehicle batteries in Powerwalls<\/a>, or in Tesla\u2019s Powerpack grid storage projects, which are quite popular in South Australia<\/a>, where they have helped to solve some of the region\u2019s significant power stability problems.<\/p>\n

The developer makes the case that Tesla already has a presence in the area in neighboring Tonsley<\/a>, that Tesla\u2019s mission (and the specific mission of a battery recycling center) supports the environmental goals of the community, and that the facility would create around 100 full-time jobs in the local community, including highly skilled jobs like battery researchers.<\/p>\n

All in all, the developer thinks it would inject $56 million into the local community, quite a nice chunk of change for the small town.<\/p>\n

And the city council also supports the plan, thinking that the job and economic benefits are worth it, particularly given that the land is not being used for anything else.<\/p>\n

The plans were submitted, the residents were consulted, and now that all the chips are on the table\u2026 the residents aren\u2019t having it.<\/p>\n

Residents respond with a lot of language we shouldn\u2019t say here<\/h2>\n

The local community gave significant pushback to this idea, with some ~95% of residents disapproving the plan. The city received 948 comments on the plan, which sounds like quite a lot for a city of 4,101 people. However, half of those comments came from outside the city\u2019s area.<\/p>\n

But among those comments from the immediate<\/em> area of the development, only 11 comments favored the plans, with 121 opposing them (that\u2019s 92% opposition).<\/p>\n

Among the comments (quoted by The Guardian<\/a>) come these gems, which wonderfully showcase the stereotypical Australian predilection for colorful language:<\/p>\n