Channel Nine has responded to claims the network was racked up thousands of dollars in fines while filming ratings hit The Block this year.
On Monday, News Corp reported that eleven infringements were issued at $1586 each during production of season 13 in Elsternwick.
However a Channel Nine spokesperson insists at least six of those fines were reversed and that fines were issued for various reasons including obstructing the road or footpath and failure to obtain a crane permit.
Racking up fines: Channel Nine has responded to claims the network was racked up thousands of dollars in fines while filming ratings hit The Block this year
‘[The show] is a fast-tracked project requiring a large level of construction activity in a condensed period,’ a rep told the publication.
‘Together with the building company, The Block works extensively with council and residents alike before, during, and after projects to ensure safe, happy, and trouble free relationships.’
Ron Torres, director of planning at Glen Eira Council, revealed there has been ‘a significant surge in resident complaints about construction sites across the last year’ and that 112 infringements were issued to builders between July and September.
Tough going: Elyse Knowles has revealed that winning the hit renovation show was not as easy as it may’ve looked, admitting that the show nearly broke the pair mentally
‘Melbourne’s construction boom is certainly having an impact on the daily lives of our residents,’ he said.
Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Channel Nine for comment.
It comes as season 13 winner Elyse Knowles claimed winning the hit renovation show was not as easy as it may have looked, admitting that producers nearly broke her and beau Josh Barker mentally.
Hammered: ‘It was gnarly and every week got harder and harder,’ Elyse told BW Magazine adding: ‘We wanted them to know we couldn’t be broken. They’d try to mentally break you down, but if you had a positive mind you’d be OK’
Speaking to BW Magazine, the 25-year-old said that there were times during production where she thought the couple wouldn’t be able to pull through.
‘It was gnarly and every week got harder and harder,’ she told the publication.
She added: ‘We didn’t know how we’d get through it because they kept putting challenges on us.’
Elyse added that the series was as much about mental toughness as it was about elbow grease.
Sold! Elyse and Josh’s mental acuity also stood them in good stead recently after they followed their Block win with a successful sale of their home in Coburg, Victoria
‘We wanted them to know we couldn’t be broken. They’d try to mentally break you down, but if you had a positive mind you’d be OK.’
Elyse and Josh’s mental acuity also stood them in good stead recently after they followed their Block win with a successful sale of their home in Coburg, Victoria.
According to realestate.com.au, the couple’s quaint fixer-upper sold for a staggering $1.61 million in November.
The sale netted a tidy $1 million profit for the couple who bought the property three years ago for $600,000.
Speaking to the Today show recently, Elyse admitted that her and Josh were now homeless, and planned to spend the next few months camping.
‘We sold our own personal home now. We have gone from two houses to none, so we are homeless,’ she explained.
‘I think we will be camping all summer on the beach, which is a good thing. We did sell our home for $1.63 million, which was a record for Coburg, so you beauty.’
Tidy profit: According to realestate.com.au, the couple’s quaint fixer-upper sold for a staggering $1.61 million in November. The pair are pictured with fellow Block contestants Sticks and Wombat