After being on sale for approximately four years, the former Holden proving ground atLang Lang, Victoria now has at least two interested buyers – but national security concerns could end up dictating who its new owner is.
CarExpert understands Australian military technology company Defendtex has also bid on the purchase of the historic facility, located 90 minutes from Melbourne.
The news comes just weeks after CarExpert reported on GWM’splans to acquire the 877-hectare property, after the Chinese automaker began leasing the proving ground for vehicle testing – hiring former Holden engineer Rob Trubiani to tune its models for Australian conditions in March, before taking up ‘permanent residency’ at the Lang Lang Proving Ground.
However, while the Australian Government has the authority to potentially step in and block the sale to GWM, sources claim GWM has yet to formally submit an offer for the proving ground at this stage.
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CarExpert understands both Defendtex and GWM have been using the facility to test products at the same time.
It’s not clear what military technology Defendtex has been testing, and whether or not it was classified or sensitive.
According to the company’s website, Defendex won the Defence Innovator of the Year award in 2023 and 2024, and was a finalist in 2025. It was also a finalist for Sovereign Industry Capability Provider of the Year at the Australian Defence Industry Awards.
While there is no suggestion of improper or illegal behaviour on the part of either company, Chinese cars – many of which are fitted with camera systems as part of their safety suites – have been banned from military sites in several countries, such as the UK and Israel.
Under Australian law, the federal treasurer has the power to approve or block any significant foreign investments, with security and defence considerations forming part of the decision.
While Treasury declined to comment for this article – and is legally unable to comment on foreign investment review cases – guidelines provided to CarExpert show a foreign entity may be mandated to notify, or encouraged to notify, the federal government of its intentions.
In this particular case – with a defence industry contractor as a tenant, as defined by the Security of Critical Infrastructure Act 2018 – it appears GWM may be encouraged to notify Treasury of its plans to purchase the Lang Lang Proving Ground voluntarily.
Vietnamese automaker VinFast purchased the property in 2020, following the axing of Holden that year, and had ambitious plans to enter the Australian auto market at the time. However, the brand soon changed course, closing its local office and putting the Lang Lang facility up for sale less than 12 months later.
As part of GWM’s announcement of its intention to purchase the Lang Lang property, the Chinese car company claimed it was negotiating on price with representatives of VinFast.
According to sources close to the latest deal, VinFast’s Australian representative is currently considering proposals from both GWM and Defendtex to purchase the proving ground – though Defendex is believed to be the only party to have put forward a formal offer at this time.
CarExpert understands there is a preference on the part of the current owners to sell the proving ground to another automaker – which would likely help secure the jobs of vehicle engineers currently employed there.
The Australian Government could take a different view, given the facility is currently used to test military equipment by defence contractors.
In 2015, the Northern Territory government came up against significant public scrutiny after a Chinese corporation signed a 99-year lease for the Port of Darwin – with both sides of parliament vowing to return the port to Australian ownership during the 2025 federal election.
Defendtex did not respond to inquiries by CarExpert.
MORE: Chinese auto giant wants to buy former Holden proving ground