Is reality renovation show The Block about to make a tree-change to Gisborne, outside Melbourne?

Is reality renovation TV show The Block set to head north for a tree change?

A block of land in Gisborne, in the Macedon Ranges outside Melbourne, could be the location of next year’s show.

Channel Nine’s production company MicJoy Pty Ltd has slapped a caveat on the site at 207 McGeorge Road, public records show. Nine is the majority owner of Domain.

The land at 206 and 207 last traded for $10 million in late July, according to an online listing. Developers have since secured planning approval to subdivide the land, and the Nine entity bought the parcel at 207 for $11 million, LJ Hooker’s Wally Houli said.

• The Block 2021 listings are live, see them here.

Plans online show a subdivision of seven lots with a creek running through the site.

A spokesman for Nine confirmed the show would be making a tree change but would not be drawn on the location.

“The Block is set for a tree change in 2022, with more information to be revealed at our Nine Upfront event this week,” the spokesman said.

A tree change would be a departure for the series, which has recently focused on affluent Melbourne bayside suburbs, such as Brighton, Hampton and St Kilda. This year’s season is set in a cul-de-sac in the family-friendly neighbourhood of Hampton, with five houses in the same street getting a makeover by a mix of new contestants and stars from previous seasons.

Such a move would follow the soaring popularity of tree changes and sea changes among city dwellers since the pandemic hit, with former office workers suddenly able to work remotely from anywhere.

The influx of new residents earning city wages and looking for more space has pushed up property prices – for sale and rent – with regional areas booming around the country.

Gisborne house prices have risen 10.8 per cent to a median of $875,000 over the year to June, Domain figures show.

Other tree-change spots that recorded strong growth over the past year include the suburb of Bendigo, up 30.8 per cent, Daylesford, up 23.8 per cent, and Leongatha in South Gippsland, up 22.6 per cent.