Plans for a Tesla battery factory in South Australia have sparked fierce local backlash, with nearly all of its residents voicing strong opposition—most citing concerns not just over the factory itself, but the influence of Elon Musk. Public sentiment in Adelaide has turned sharply against Musk and Tesla's plans in the suburb of Marion, with the city considering the sale of a parcel of contaminated, closed-off public land to Tesla for the facility. It's a move that would deliver 100 full-time jobs and tens of millions in economic output, among other benefits, according to a council report.
The report concludes these benefits outweigh criticisms, but local submissions overwhelmingly oppose the deal. Of almost 1,000 submissions received by the council, about 95% urged rejection, per the Guardian. While some mentioned the environmental impact—one complained of "a noisy, ugly, planet-destroying temple to billionaires," per News.com.au—many focused on Musk himself, and several were so harsh that the city censored them. While critics outside of the immediate area made up over half of the objections, residents closest to the site opposed the project 121-11. Marion Mayor Kris Hanna argues the anti-Musk sentiment won't harm the CEO's interests, because if the project is denied, "Tesla will just set up somewhere else in Australia that's more welcoming." (This content was created with the help of AI. Read our AI policy.)
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