Supercharger - Benalla, Vic (Withdrawn June 2024)Locked

[dronus]

I wouldn’t be blaming Elon/Tesla for this. The council clearly dragged it out and Tesla got sick of it and cancelled. Or the council got greedy and wanted more money.

<rant>
Or someone at the council owns a Leaf which wasn't going to be able to use the Tesla chargers before they got opened up, like one of the sites here in SA which got cancelled. Or maybe they didn't like the idea of losing carparking so they are not inconvenienced, but some extra $$ would grease the wheels, who knows.

EV charging infrastructure could be approved by State/Federal Governments and Local councils should be mostly excluded and just be thankful for the extra business the chargers will give their local businesses. It's critical infrastructure. I wonder if these processes are reviewed at a higher level?

Get too greedy, you get nothing. As much as it sucks for people who now cant use it (me included as i pass through those parts a few times a year), its a clear message to other councils - Stop being over beauacratic, greedy, self important prats and do what you are supposed to be doing - Serving the Community with Roads, rubbish and parks. Build communities and stop getting in the way of people who are trying to help you.

Hopefully people ask the council (and local state government Elected Members) there why they took so long to approve this, something which contributed to its demise. I guess its still better than here where they have just been saying no to everything, citing all the exploding EVs.
</rant>

<constructive>
Hopefully this site is revisited and approved, it would be awesome for both the local and travelling people.
</constructive>

 

[Andy G MYP]

If you get stuck waiting at Euroa in the next year or so, there is only one person to blame.

Yep the mayor of Benalla council.

 

[Vostok]

Yep the mayor of Benalla council.

The Council minutes said “Tesla has withdrawn the project”. It didn’t say “Proposal refused by Council” because Council had already approved the project at step 2 and the Mayor no longer had any role to play after that point.

The minutes state that items 3 and 4 were delegated to the Council’s CEO to finalise the contract.

So… you’re wrong.

 

[Vostok]

Or someone at the council owns a Leaf which wasn't going to be able to use the Tesla chargers before they got opened up, like one of the sites here in SA which got cancelled. Or maybe they didn't like the idea of losing carparking so they are not inconvenienced, but some extra $$ would grease the wheels, who knows.

Council had already approved the project. So, no, that’s not what happened.

its a clear message to other councils - Stop being over beauacratic, greedy, self important prats and do what you are supposed to be doing - Serving the Community with Roads, rubbish and parks. Build communities and stop getting in the way of people who are trying to help you.

How do you figure that, when the SC project had been approved by Council, and it was Tesla who pulled the plug on it?

The “clear message to other councils”, should Tesla try to resurrect the SC team in some shape or form, is to be extremely wary in dealing with Tesla, because they cannot be relied upon, they might pull the pin without warning. I think that’s the message they have now got.

 

[Andy G MYP]

The minutes state that items 3 and 4 were delegated to the Council’s CEO to finalise the contract.

So… you’re wrong.

And who does the council CEO report to?

It’s seems pretty clear to me the council dropped the ball and didn’t finalise the contract. Unless you can prove otherwise?

 

[Jules22]

To be fair, sounds like pure speculation (again) on both sides.

 

[Andy G MYP]

To be fair, sounds like pure speculation (again) on both sides.

Yep 100%, that was the point I was trying to make.

 

[Onshore]

Would be good to see some federal legislation that removes local council red tape from EV Charging infrastructure rollouts.

This was done with the NBN, which would otherwise have been mired in council interference.

 

[B3AU]

Would be good to see some federal legislation that removes local council red tape from EV Charging infrastructure rollouts.

This was done with the NBN, which would otherwise have been mired in council interference.

Perhaps the federal legislation will happen at the same time the federal government bring in that road usage charge

(For what it's worth, here is the NSW fact sheet on which requires development approval from council https://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-03/electric-vehicles-fact-sheet.pdf )

Where can an EVC unit be installed under exempt development?
EVC units are exempt development where installed in the following locations:
• private homes
• car parks (commercial, public or private)
• bus depots
• road maintenance depots
• service stations
• highway service centres
• car washing facilities, or
• on public administration buildings.

 

[Vostok]

And who does the council CEO report to?

It’s seems pretty clear to me the council dropped the ball and didn’t finalise the contract. Unless you can prove otherwise?

We have an official council meeting record that says Tesla withdrew the proposal. That’s the evidence. There are serious consequences for falsifying an official Council record. So where is your document or independently verifiable evidence that “proves otherwise”?

I will wait…

 

[Vostok]

To be fair, sounds like pure speculation (again) on both sides.

That’s not at all the case, Jules. On one side we have an official Council document that says Tesla withdrew the proposal. On the other side we have… nothing. If you or anyone else has any independently verifiable evidence to the contrary, then please produce it.

Council record of the relevant meeting:

https://www.benalla.vic.gov.au/files/assets/public/v/1/all-pdfs/minutes-amp-agendas/2024-minutes-amp-agenda/council-meetings/2024-05-29-media-agenda-council-meeting-29-may-2024.pdf

On page 50, Council talks about the need for EV charging and mentions Benalla council “will also be leasing” Tesla 10 spaces initially for its supercharger station, with an option to extend for a further 10 spaces. Note the un-caveated use of the word “will”. Reading this, I don’t detect any anti-EV charging sentiment in Council, far from it.

It appears the CEO of the Benalla Council drives a Tesla, as evidenced by the report on his credit card expenses - page 187. So prima facie it would appear that the CEO would be rather predisposed towards Tesla having an SC site in Benalla:

The damning note, p.203:

I’m really disappointed by the knee-jerk, snarky, un-founded commentary here on possible anti-EV motivations by Council or its officials, when it is not hard to do a small amount of research to find evidence that establishes that is almost certainly not the case.

I look forward to seeing any counter-evidence.

 

[Andy G MYP]

We have an official council meeting record that says Tesla withdrew the proposal. That’s the evidence.

And what does that prove exactly. Can you show what discussions were had between council and Tesla to see why communications broke down? No you can’t so you are speculating it was Tesla’s fault. I’m speculating it’s the councils fault. Can either of us prove who’s correct?

I’ll wait for your evidence.

 

[meloccom]

Moderators note:
The “discussion” as to whose fault it was that the Benalla Superchargers did not get built has run its course, and both sides have had their say.
I reserve the right to delete any further discussion on this specific topic going forward.

 

[Quickst]

No you can’t so you are speculating it was Tesla’s fault. I’m speculating it’s the councils fault

Exactly . As usual the truth is somewhere in the middle. Council did not approve the project - it was just an effectively a preliminary and non binding "grant of license". The final approval comes when contracts are finalised.
What is true is the Council took perhaps nearly a year (or more?) to get from proposal to "grant of licence" stage. Then comes the contract negotiations .. There is Elon time but there is also Council time - those who had experience with councils when it comes to development applications would painfully know...

I myself have had a development application (which met all the DA requirements) dragged out and in the end I withdrew my application after 6 months of to-ing and fro-ing after the regulatory 42 days. Whose fault? I know it was not at my end.

 

[meloccom]

Exactly . As usual the truth is somewhere in the middle. Council did not approve the project - it was just an effectively a preliminary and non binding "grant of license". The final approval comes when contracts are finalised.
What is true is the Council took perhaps nearly a year (or more?) to get from proposal to "grant of licence" stage. Then comes the contract negotiations .. There is Elon time but there is also Council time - those who had experience with councils when it comes to development applications would painfully know...

I myself have had a development application (which met all the DA requirements) dragged out and in the end I withdrew my application after 6 months of to-ing and fro-ing after the regulatory 42 days. Whose fault? I know it was not at my end.

I refer to my post, directly above yours.

 

[Vostok]

Given the evidence-free speculation on this, I decided to go the source, and asked Benalla Council what happened.

They were completely unambiguous in their response.

Benalla Council was advised on 2 May 2024 that the Tesla Charging Team was being disbanded globally, and that the Tesla representative further advised that the Benalla project was not in a position to proceed.

Very clear-cut. It's quite bizarre that so many people refused to accept that "Tesla has withdrawn the project" meant exactly what those words mean. Nothing more, nothing less.

@meloccom - this is new factual information from the source, hence I believe warrants retention in this thread, and disproves speculation that the Council or its officials in some way played a part or contributed to the withdrawal.

 

[cafz]

Benalla Council was advised on 2 May 2024 that the Tesla Charging Team was being disbanded globally, and that the Tesla representative further advised that the Benalla project was not in a position to proceed.

I do wonder whether this representative was someone who'd just been told their position had been made redundant, and were perhaps freelancing to some extent.

 

[Jules22]

disproves speculation that the Council

I don't think it's solid proof of anything. It's one side of the story from someone at the council.

Balance of probabilities is that Tesla put it on hold, but as far as proof goes, we have zero proof what was happening in the lead up, if council delays had an effect on the Tesla decision for example. As Cafz pointed out, we have no idea who the council spoke with.

Again I don't see any value in continuing to bring this speculation up over and over. Tesla may have made a business decision, we don't know what factors were involved, they are completely within their rights to make whatever decision they made for whatever reason they made it.

I'm more interested in focussing on what new sites ARE being built and more importantly when other players are going to start contributing significantly to the infrastructure required for EV's to continue to grow at pace.

 

[Vostok]

I do wonder whether this representative was someone who'd just been told their position had been made redundant, and were perhaps freelancing to some extent.

Seriously? I asked Benalla Council the question - the first person here to actually bother to find out from the source what happened - and got a completely clear and unambiguous answer. And you still don’t want to accept it.

Did you ask Benalla Council what happened? If not, why are you so desperate to hypothecate an evidence-free narrative - any narrative - that puts the blame anywhere else but at Tesla’s feet and their decision to sack the SC team?

 

[Jules22]

As @meloccom has stated, the blame game isn't going to get anyone anywhere. Getting one side of the story and presenting that as 'evidence' doesn't change anything.

As I said, whatever decision Tesla made, and whatever factors went into making that decision, they are completely within their rights to make whatever decision they made for whatever reason they made it.

I don't see any benefit in going round and round trying to lay 'blame' for a decision which they were more than within their rights to make and which we have zero clue what factors may have influenced.