BYD is under scrutiny in Australia after more than 1,600 of its cars were found stored illegally at a local water park
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22 hours ago
BYD stored more than 1,600 cars at Jamberoo Action Park without approval.
Kiama Council states that the water park can’t legally operate as a car storage facility.
BYD’s rise in Australia has been swift, its local debut with the Atto 3 only a couple of years behind it. Since then, the brand has expanded into a full lineup that now includes the Shark 6 among several others, with more launches still to come this year.
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However, recent events suggest the momentum may be getting ahead of itself. That’s because BYD has reportedly been caught storing vehicles illegally at a New South Wales water park.
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More than 1,600 BYD vehicles have been sitting in parking lots at Jamberoo Action Park, about 90 minutes south of Sydney.
The water park, closed during the winter, is reopening this week as the local summer approaches, yet its carparks have quietly been filling up with BYD models, including the Shark 6, Sealion 6, Sealion 7, and Seal.
While it’s not unusual for carmakers or dealerships to store excess inventory, the scale of BYD’s operation is unusual. Also unusual was that it didn’t actually receive any council approval before it started trucking vehicles arriving from the nearby Port Kembla shipping terminal to the water park.
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The local Kiama Council has been aware of the growing number of BYD vehicles being stored at the facility for two to three months. While the property is privately owned, the car park can’t be used for purposes “not associated with the recreation facility,” local media reports.
It’s understood that the owners lodged a Development Action (DA) with the council in early September, wanting to turn the carpark into a storage facility.
However, the council is continuing to review this application, and recently issued the property owner a warning to stop using the land for car storage.
“Council is working with the owners of Jamberoo Action Park to ensure the site is only operated for authorised uses,” a spokesperson confirmed.
BYD itself has stated that its New South Wales storage operations are handled by a third-party logistics partner, though it has yet to identify who that partner is.
It’s a bad look for the car manufacturer and comes at a time when it is facing growing competition from other Chinese brands. This year, its local sales have been outpaced by those of GWM.
Photos BYD