The Block issues ‘desperate’ plea for tradies amid new season crisis

The Block’s upcoming season is in crisis mode, with series creators taking to Instagram with urgent calls for help.

The Block is facing a critical tradie shortage amid filming, with the program’s building company posting an urgent social media plea for immediate applications to save the show.

Nine in Six, the construction company behind the upcoming Tree Change season, which is based in Gisborne, Victoria, “desperately needs help to complete the series,” it posted on Instagram this week.

“We desperately need help completing the current series of The Block, Tree Change. Carpenters, Cladding Crews, Skilled labourers, Trade Assistants,” the company’s official account wrote.

“Wages, Casual, Subbies we won’t discriminate. Immediate start, 5 Weeks to go Location Gisborne Victoria. Send us a message if you’re keen.”

The Block executive producer Julian Cress also said building materials have been “incredibly hard to come by” for the worksite, blaming a “pandemic hangover” for the multiple issues plaguing the popular home renovation series.

Luke Dennehy, who works in publicity for the show, echoed the message on his Instagram page, citing widespread instability in the building industry this year, which has seen a number of building companies fall into liquidation in recent months.

He said it has been a “tough ride” for creators this year.

“@TheBlock needs some tradies to make sure we finish,” Dennehy wrote.

“Add in serious supply issues, it’s been a tough ride. But the houses will be amazing. Trades – carpenters, cladding crews, skilled labourers, trade assistants – Go to @nineinsix Insta or please email [e-mail] to join the crew.

“It’s beautiful here in Gisborne South. Tag anyone you think in who would be good. Lack of supply and staffing issues is what everyone is talking about in the construction industry right now.”

Some of Australia’s biggest building companies continue to topple amid the strain of a “perfect storm” of factors that have pushed costs up for housing construction and created expensive delays.

It’s been estimated the cost of building a new house has increased by $76,715 in two years, with the average construction expense exceeding $400,000 for the first time, according to the Australian Financial Review.

Skilled worker shortages from overseas due to closed borders since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic has also crippled the industry, sending labour costs soaring.

Executive producer addresses dire situation

Workers are said to be “worried” about finishing the home builds in time. Picture: Channel 9.

Executive producer Julian Cress spoke on Melbourne’s 3AW Afternoons with Dee Dee yesterday, describing the situation as a “real challenge”.

Asked what they’re missing most – materials or tradies - Cress explained that getting the show off the ground has been a “real challenge” this year due to disarray and uncertainty in the construction industry.

“We’ve battled through a lot over the last two years making the show with the pandemic, and I think we’re just seeing a bit of a hangover with Covid now. Materials have been incredibly hard to come by, a lot of the things we take for granted are just unobtainable … but how we’ve run into a real shortage of labour as well.”

He said he was hopeful the builds would be able to finish, but revealed there had been “crisis meetings” this week to discuss the challenge ahead.

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The Block has been in “crisis” mode this week. Picture: Media Mode.

It comes amid worker and material shortages nationwide. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Sarah Matray.

“We’ve been working through to this point with a shortage of labour, and everyone’s just been mucking in and doing all they can. But now, when the clock starts to run down and you’ve only got weeks to do … that’s when it’s crunch time.

He said builders were “really worried” about the job.

“This isn’t just The Block … It feels to me like it’s an Australia-wide shortage of tradies.”

Couple pull out two days ahead of filming

The staff shortage is not the first hurdle The Block has faced this year, with two of the biggest names quitting the competition just three days into filming.

As reported by The Daily Telegraph, influencer Elle Ferguson and her fiance, former AFL player Joel Patfull, had to pull out as contestants after Patfull’s mother suffered a nasty fall.

Patfull, formerly of the GWS Giants, and fashion and beauty blogger Ferguson have reportedly travelled to Adelaide, where Patfull’s mum Trish is receiving treatment for possible bleeding of the brain, a broken coccyx and a fractured wrist.

The glamorous pair were forced to quit the competition. Picture: Supplied.

Ferguson took to social media with a telling post about the sudden change of plans, declaring: “Family always comes first.”

Power couple Ferguson and Patfull were enlisted to join The Block as the highest-profile contestants this season along with former Neighbours star Sharon Johal and her husband Ankur Dogra.

Influencer and businesswoman Ferguson boasts 680,000 followers on Instagram, and has her own range of self-tan, Elle Effect.

Meanwhile, Pattful, who retired from AFL in 2016, works as head of operations for Elle Effect and has an athleisure range, Lost Athletes.

Surprise twist this season

The Block Tree Change will see the new crop of contestants set off for regional Victoria to get stuck into their builds.

Host Scott Cam will also be renovating his own Block property for the first time.

It comes off the back of a controversial Fans vs Faves season which was marred by the biggest cheating scandal in the show’s history after one team distributed a photo of the top-secret production schedule.