The Block: Melbourne location for next series revealed
A sleepy suburban cul-de-sac will be home to next year’s series of The Block, but some residents are already doing their block over their street being used in the top-rating reno show.
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Sleepy Hampton cul-de-sac Bronte Court will be home to next year’s series of The Block.
Some residents are already doing their block over their street being used in the top-rating series.
Five properties were bought by The Block’s founding executive producer Julian Cress for the Nine Network after he doorknocked the owners with an offer too good to refuse.
Settlement is next month with the sixteenth series of the hit renovation show already filming in the Bayside area in New St, Brighton.
An email from concerned residents was sent out this week to Bayside Council Boyd Ward candidates about The Block moving into their backyard.
“Unlike the current series on New St in Brighton, Bronte Court is a small court that will soon have five houses under construction along with television crews and the associated public traffic the TV show attracts,” stated the email seen by Page 13.
It went on to raise planning and traffic concerns as crews bring building materials into the street.
Council candidates were asked for their “views on protecting our mid-century modern heritage?”
Two of the houses are believed to be heritage listed.
Angry residents and council red tape is nothing new to The Block co-creator and executive producer who has worked on all series of hit renovation show.
Cress would not comment on The Block’s new location but did say he had a great working relationship with Bayside Council.
“In the interests of the privacy of the residents and in the interests of retaining some element of surprise for the contestants, we have never publicly commented on where the next series of The Block is going to be.”
He says the network announced that the next series of the Block would be in a cul-de-sac but had not said where it was.
But Page 13 found out.
During last month’s Nine Upfronts, which highlights the network’s big TV shows for the coming year, it was revealed that the 17th season would see new teams take on the renovation of “five properties in a family-friendly setting of a picturesque suburban cul-de-sac.”
One resident, who does not want to be named for privacy reasons, said she did not want The Block “arriving in my backyard.”
Having bought into the neighbourhood in the 1980s she is worried the leafy hideaway will be overrun with gawkers wanting a gander The Block houses.
“I’ve seen it with the other series,” she said. “They become a tourist attraction. Anybody comes to have a look. We are worried about the privacy of our backyard and security.”
The upset resident said she has gone to council to raise her concerns.
But it all boils down to what side of the fence you are on.
Another resident told Page 13 he thought The Block coming to the street was “pretty cool.”
It’s understood one of The Block’s buyer advocates Nicole Jacobs has a property on the same cul-de-sac. Not bad when housing prices will predictably soar.
And five happy residents will be laughing all the way the to the bank when the cheques arrive for the off-market deals on their properties.
Cress knows how to talk the talk.
He famously faced off with an angry resident who also happened to be a barrister and we all know barristers can be a litigious bunch.
It was in the Sydney all-star series. The barrister started a petition, firing up locals into a grassroots protest against The Block moving in.
But it ended with the legal eagle and his wife cooking cakes and making cups of coffee for the crew.
“I have a very, very proud record of working really well with locals,” Cress said.
“We’ve just finished filming a series of The Block in New St, Brighton under the toughest conditions because of COVID and we had not one complaint from Bayside Council during the whole process.”
Filming on The Block cul-de-sac series will begin in February 2021.
Sounds as if Cress has nailed it.
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