28-05-2025
Tesla wins council approval for new factory in South Australia despite vocal anti-Musk sentiment
Elon Musk's Tesla is one step closer to opening a factory in an Adelaide suburb despite overwhelming community opposition from 'anti-Tesla and anti-Elon Musk sentiment'.
On Tuesday night the City of Marion council voted to seek state government approval to sell the site to a developer who will build the factory.
Environmental concerns and worries the site would draw protesters were also cited among the 95% of people who made submissions opposed to the plan for a battery factory.
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Many voiced their opposition with words that were censored in the city's official records, such as 'Elon Musk and Tesla are a [redacted] on humanity'.
Tesla sales have slumped amid a backlash against Musk for his work with the Trump administration, such as slashing funding for government departments through his department of government efficiency, as well as his ideology and actions such as what some saw as an apparent fascist salute.
But Marion's mayor, Kris Hanna, said blocking the sale of the site would have no impact on Musk and would have cost 100 local jobs.
Hanna said the soil on the site was contaminated and not safe for recreation, so 'it makes sense to have it sealed over with a renewable technology facility'.
'If we didn't proceed, it would have cost 100 jobs to local residents, but it would have had no impact on Elon Musk,' he said. 'Tesla would almost certainly find somewhere else in Australia to build their factory.'
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