Earlier this year, Vinfast, the company from Vietnam that purchased the Holden Proving Ground at Nyora announced that it was closing its Melbourne Australian design and engineering office in Port Melbourne, after opening in June 2020. The office was to be a development hub for VinFast petrol and electric vehicles and had employed over 50 previously employees who used to work for Holden Australia and other car companies.
VinFast stated that COVID-19 was the main reason behind the closure but after the closure in June 2021 it was reported in Wheels Australia that the then Australian manager of Vinfast Australia’s operations had also resigned from the company and that the Port Melbourne Technical Centre was being closed. Wheels Australia magazine is quoted as saying that “at least 88 (staff) were to be offered the chance to relocate to Vietnam or be retrenched”.
The article went on to say that at least the Proving Grounds had survived the cull and an email from Vinfast said the following “VinFast has decided to gather all vehicle development workforces in foreign countries back to the headquarters in Vietnam in order to optimise all resources and facilitate co-ordination with the production team in our complex in Hai Phong, Vietnam”
Back in 2020, Vietnam’s first domestic car manufacturer, Vinfast, said it had bought GM Holden’s Lang Testing Centre in Australia, as part of its efforts to expand internationally. The company was reported to have paid $36.3 million to General Motors in 2020 to purchase the Proving Grounds. The 877ha test track in Victoria’s southeast opened in 1957 and was used to test everything from the old Kingswood in the 1970s to modern day Commodores and Astras. After the company announced its intention to gather all its vehicle development forces back to Vietnam a cloud was hanging over the Nyora Proving Grounds. The 877ha test track in Victoria’s southeast opened in 1957 and was used to test everything from the old Kingswood in the 1970s to modern day Commodores and Astras.
We spoke with an employee of the company working at the Proving Ground last Tuesday and were informed of a recent meeting of the workforce on August 23rd where the staff were informed that the company will close its operation at the Proving Ground on Sept 29th this year whilst retaining guards to monitor the property.
We were informed that around 50 staff remained at the location, but that staff were now being retrenched Vinfast have decided to end the operations of the proving ground and will make a decision regarding possible sale of the property at a later date.
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