January 29th, 2025Block Watch  

Nine in Six Builders owner Aidan O’Shannessy, working on his 16th season with The Block, says the region is already benefiting economically from the show.  

“We’ve just left Phillip Island where we were very large frequenters of the local restaurants and cafes, largely hospitality-style venues.

“But we do also like to visit any and all businesses around town – we like to shop as local and be as local as we can.”  

Aidan said the builders onsite had rented about 14 properties, with most short  term B&B rentals.

“We are very conscious of trying not to take away from affordable  long-term rental properties around town, to leave those properties for people who  really need them.”  

Aidan also said all of his staff and Channel 9 staff received living away from home  allowances, along with their wages, so they had money to spend while in town.  

“If you are working a 10, 11 or 12-hour day you don’t want to worry about  having to have a full pantry and cook for yourself all the time, so people have the  extra means to be able to go and buy their lunch or dinner or breakfast.”  

Aidan said currently there were 20 to 40 builders working on the Raglan Street  site but once filming started that would swell up to about 200 people.  

“We’re also very conscious of not bringing everybody we need to do our project  in from outside and supporting local trade businesses from the area as much as we  can.  

“We have already engaged a local plumber from between Ballarat and here. And  we’re looking at a local roofing contractor and a local painting contractor.  

“There’s a lot of people that we need to bring with us with the nature of what we  do and how we do it but as much as we can we really try to support the local town  and local trades and businesses.”  

Aidan said the builders were getting a great reception from Daylesford.  

“We are just getting more and more as we as we get into it. We had one person  going to buy shoes coming back saying how lovely the person in there was.  

“We we had had great feedback so far and that’s pretty common. Often the  negative people have the loudest voices but are actually the fewest in number.”  

Aidan said people who watched The Block would have seen him from time to time  “normally being grumpy having to fix a problem – but that’s life”.  

“I’ve been doing this now, working with The Block for about 16 seasons, it’s a massive part of our business and a massive part of my family’s life for a very long time  now.”  

Cedar & Sage Daylesford co-owner Jilly Howard said the visitors The Block would  bring to Daylesford and the wider region could only be a positive thing.  

“An increased spend after a tough year or two has to be a good thing, not just for  retail but also for hospitality and accommodation,” she said.  

“If businesses are prospering, they are in a better position to have that flow-on  effect to sporting clubs, local community projects and organisations. More money  floating around has got to be a positive thing for our town.”  

Jilly also said, after talking with those involved in former Block programs, the real  impact would be when the program goes to air later in the year.  

“That is when the visitation will really start and it will also be highlighting our  town and region, showing the natural beauty we have, to the wider community of Australia. From a business owner’s point of view, this can only have a positive  impact.”  

Belle Real Estate principal director Will Walton agrees the block is great for the  region and especially Daylesford.

“The Block is giving us exposure that we have never  had before. And we’re not paying for it. It’s free publicity.  

“And once filming starts – it’s the highest rated television program in Australia  and is syndicated through 125 countries – so we are taking Daylesford to the world.  

“And there is a huge, invested fan base and the reality is those people get in a car  and come and explore the location of The Block. It is really about to ramp up.”  

Mr Walton said his sales team was “extremely optimistic regarding the future  economic outlook for our region”.  

“As our Belle Property team is the largest sales team in the Hepburn Shire,  meeting more buyers than any other agency, we expect to experience lots of positive impacts from potential buyers curiosity once The Block is aired on television in  addition to the exceptionally large Block fan base that will no doubt be keen to  explore everything Daylesford and the wider region has to offer.”  

Words & images: Donna Kelly