The Block host Shelley Craft has revealed that all five homes in the latest season will have the same reserve price of $3,450,000 at auction. The price is double the Mount Eliza median home price of $1,720,000, according to realestate.com.au quarterly data. The reserves were made public because of new Victorian laws requiring sellers and agents to disclose reserve prices at least seven days before auction. The laws aim to reduce underquoting, which is advertising a property at an unrealistically low price. Craft said the reserves are the starting point for the auctioneers.
Point Cook has become the most expensive Wyndham suburb for houses, according to quarterly median data from the Real Estate Institute of Victoria. Its median house price fell 1.2 per cent in the September quarter to $850,000, still more than $100,000 above Williams Landing. Williams Landing's median dropped 20.9 per cent to $740,000. Across metropolitan Melbourne, median prices softened 0.7 per cent, with the median house price at $943,000. Mount Eliza recorded the strongest quarterly house price growth, rising 9.1 per cent to $1.8 million.
The Block host Shelley Craft has revealed the reserve price for the five houses in the upcoming series, a week before auction. The early disclosure follows new Victorian legislation requiring agents to reveal a home's reserve a week before auction. The reserve is $3.45 million, with a sale guideline of $3.6 million to $3.9 million. Scotty says contestants were less upset than in past seasons, though they are never happy with reserves. Judge Shaynna Blaze says the reserves are a bargain for the area and the houses' quality.
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The Block homes in Mount Eliza are priced between $3.6 million and $3.9 million, but similar luxury properties nearby are available for less. A five-bedroom home a minute's drive away is listed for $3.2 million to $3.5 million, featuring a tennis court and swimming pool. The housing market downturn and interest rate rises are making it tougher to sell high-end properties in the area.
Regional Victoria's property market grew in the third quarter, with house prices up 1.2 per cent to $673,500, according to the Real Estate Institute of Victoria. Cheaper homes held up better than premium ones, with lower-quartile prices in metropolitan Melbourne falling less than upper-end prices over the September quarter. Median prices in Melbourne softened 0.7 per cent over the quarter. Real Estate Institute of Victoria chief executive Toby Balazs said the market was resilient despite higher borrowing costs and cost-of-living pressures, and called on the next state government to review auction and property sale reforms.
Producers of The Block have secretly filmed the auction order for the upcoming Mount Eliza finale weeks ahead of schedule, according to Woman's Day. Insiders say the decision followed concerns about the involvement of contestants Chantel and Wyatt. A source says the pair are expected to fly into Melbourne for the October 31 auction and leave quickly. The source also says the contestants were told they could forfeit money if they do not fulfil their obligations. Agents reportedly do not know the auction order or the reserves. The results are due to air on Sunday, November 1.
Benton's Square Shopping Centre has reopened, with Woolworths and Dan Murphy's trading again. A fire gutted Harcourts Family Butchers, formerly Lindens Meat. Neighbouring businesses Top Pho and The Pantry House also suffered significant damage.
A community group has questioned the Victorian government’s transparency after the Planning Minister failed to respond to a request for information about changes to a planning permit. Save Our Seat sought details about changes to the Arthurs Seat Eagle’s luge permit conditions, which were reportedly modified before final approval. The group claims the government is withholding information about the process, raising concerns about accountability. The state government declined to comment on the lack of response.
Paid parking will start at Rosebud Hospital and The Mornington Centre from 27 October. Bayside Health says the fees will cover rising operational and maintenance costs. Staff will pay $4.50 per eight-hour shift, matching other Peninsula Care Group sites. Nepean MP Anthony Marsh opposes the changes, calling them tone-deaf during a cost-of-living crisis. Parking will remain free for visits under 30 minutes.
A birthkeeper who allegedly groomed pregnant women to fear hospital could be referred to prosecutors over potential criminal charges, a Victorian coroner has heard. Emily Lal was paid $6,000 to support Stacey Warnecke through her pregnancy. Warnecke died in September 2025 at Frankston hospital after a home birth and a postpartum haemorrhage. Counsel assisting the coroner said phone evidence contradicted Lal's earlier testimony, and that it would be open to find she was untruthful, which could lead to a perjury referral. The coroner will deliver her findings at a later date.
A men's style guide has picked 10 boat shoes for summer, from classic leather designs to chunkier modern styles. Boat shoes were first made for sailors and are now a common summer choice for smart-casual outfits. The list includes options for offices, weekends and different budgets. Suede styles need extra care around water. The picks are based on product research rather than hands-on testing of every pair.
Rock musician Ross Wilson is selling his Port Melbourne home, which he bought in 2018 for $1.681m. The three-bedroom, two-bathroom house has been extended and renovated and carries a $2.4m to $2.6m price guide. Agent Justin Holod of Marshal White says buyers have described the home as feeling like a famous person lives there, pointing to an old-school jukebox. The house goes to auction on November 7 at 1.30pm.
Greeks in Dandenong marked OXI Day despite rain, holding the annual event organised by the Greek Orthodox Community of Dandenong and Surrounding Areas. Bad weather moved the wreath-laying ceremony inside the Church of Saint Panteleimon, but the emotional tone remained strong as people honoured those who resisted fascism. Students from the community's Greek School took part, with poems and traditional dances. Community president Stefanos Karamoschos and school principal Niki Farfara Paschou spoke about freedom, dignity and the value of preserving the Greek language.
Victoria's emergency services minister, Paul Edbrooke, says he believes he is being followed after finding a bullet on his car bonnet following a community event in his Frankston electorate. The bullet was engraved with the word "RAT" and his former firefighter identification number, which he says few people would know. Edbrooke said the discovery was frightening, particularly because his children, who are young adults, also use the vehicle. He said the only people sending him aggressive threats and abuse online were members of the United Firefighters Union, which is in a dispute with Fire Rescue Victoria.
It is a company profile of Mornington Peninsula News Group, a locally owned and independent media business established in 2006. According to that text, the group publishes five weekly community newspapers, including the Western Port News, Mornington News and Frankston Times, along with two glossy magazines, Peninsula Essence and Peninsula Kids. Because the material provides no details about the shopping centre, the fire, its closure or any response by authorities, no summary of those events can be reliably written from it.
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Police are investigating after Victorian emergency services minister Paul Edbrooke found a bullet on his car on Saturday. The bullet was inscribed with the word RAT and his old firefighter number. Mr Edbrooke called it a death threat and said he had reported it to police. The United Firefighters Union condemned the threat and asked police to find the person responsible. Union secretary Peter Marshall later questioned whether the bullet had been placed on the car at all. Victoria Police said its Security Investigation Unit is investigating.
A four-bedroom home on a 4.71ha bushland property at Macclesfield, in the Dandenong Ranges foothills, has been listed for private sale. Price expectations sit between $2.9m and $3.1m. The property at 88 Kirkpatricks Road has been renovated and extended over two decades by its owner, Paige Fleming, working with architect Mark Burns. Features include landscaped gardens and a black infinity edge pool. Barry Plant Emerald agent Justin Barrot is handling the sale.
An artificial intelligence system fitted to an RACV roadside assistance van has detected more than 300 road defects across 1,000 kilometres of Victorian roads. The system, called RoughSense, was developed by RMIT University and tested with RACV. It identifies cracking, rutting and emerging potholes as the van completes its normal duties. The highest concentration of defects was found along the Frankston-Flinders Road corridor. Researchers are still assessing the system's accuracy, and the trial runs until January 2027.
Workers at eight Victorian councils have rejected a pay offer, continuing protected industrial action that has disrupted services. The councils, including Hume and Merri-bek, are in multi-employer bargaining with unions. The rejected offer included wage increases tied to the rate cap and a $1200 transition payment. The Australian Services Union reported a 98 per cent rejection rate among its members, leading to strike action and service disruptions.
Typical home prices in 18 Melbourne suburbs have moved above the $950,000 cap for the federal first-home buyer scheme, according to new REA Group figures. The cap was lifted by $150,000 last October, but rising prices have pushed these suburbs beyond it again. Templestowe's median unit price now sits $31,500 above the limit. Industry figures say the scheme makes larger mortgages easier to access but does not necessarily make housing more affordable, while one builder reports packages starting at about $450,000.
The Class of 2026 at Chairo Christian School in Leongatha has marked the end of its school years with a series of celebrations. A carnival morning used a toy-themed design, with graduates dressed as characters and running stalls for younger students. The next day, the final assembly featured a devotional message from school captain Meg Stokes and flowers presented by Prep students. That evening, a Valedictory Dinner recognised the graduates and their families. Principal Amy Stork said the school was proud to celebrate with the students.
