Mornington Peninsula Shire mayor Stephen Batty and local psychologist Danielle Jacobs have started a petition calling for urgent safety upgrades at three busy Mt Eliza intersections. The intersections are Volitans Avenue, Mount Eliza Way and Baden Powell Drive. The petition, addressed to the Victorian Parliament, seeks independent safety audits, a review of speed limits, signage, line marking, lighting, vegetation and sightlines, and a clear timetable for any recommendations. Batty said the intersections needed fixing and could not wait. Jacobs said the petition was about neighbours and asked residents to sign and share it.
The Block host Scott Cam says contestants are heading into the finale with old grudges and fresh revelations. Cam, who will host the auction, said the five Mount Eliza homes each carry a $3.45 million reserve. He said the production team apologised on air after wrongly stating that one couple had overspent their budget, but believes the fallout went further than needed. Cam said he has no idea which team will do well on auction day, as past winners have surprised him. The next season will be filmed at a heritage-listed former asylum in Sunbury.
Tensions among The Block contestants are running high ahead of auction day at the Mount Eliza properties. Woman's Day reports that the five teams are divided after months of rivalries, and that end-of-season celebrations have reportedly become chaotic, with separate after-parties being organised. Jolene is reportedly trying to reconnect with Courtney and Sev, while Lisa is said to be less willing. Wyatt and Chantel have reportedly stayed on the Gold Coast, and Rick and Tayla are said to have received encouragement from producers, which some contestants have noticed.
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The Block's Rick and Tayla face a high-stakes auction for House 5 in Mount Eliza. Their home carries a $3.45 million reserve, below its original $3.6 million to $3.9 million price guide. Under Victoria's new property transparency laws, the reserve was publicly disclosed at least seven days before auction day. Agent Ash Marton says the early disclosure may attract more buyers and build competition. Five Block homes are set to sell on the same day, and the result will depend on how many bidders take part. The auction airs Sunday 1 November at 7pm on 9Now and Channel Nine.
Insiders say Nine is working hard to avoid a repeat of 2025, when two properties failed to sell at auction on The Block. Auctions are set for October 31, and sources claim House 5, owned by father-daughter team Rick and Tayla, has drawn limited buyer interest. Danny Wallis reportedly called the property a wooden spoon and a cheap one during an inspection, and it received only 15 per cent of the buyers' jury vote.
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.
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.
