The new BBC murder mystery Return to Paradise will be set in the fictional town of Dolphin Cove, a role being played by the northern Illawarra's beachside suburbs.

Moore St in Austinmer has provided three locations so far - the old Uniting church, the corner of Moore and Slade streets, and the tiny Moore Lane, back from the street.

Residents were warned by letter on March 8 that they should expect the intersection to be blocked off while filming took place on Monday. Stop/go traffic controls would be in place, but bus services would not be affected.

Several on-street parking spots were barricaded off the night before with residents told they couldn't use these spots on Monday morning.

Police and Wollongong City Council had been notified, producers said.

"Please rest assured, you will always have access to your properties," the letter said.

"We will operate with the utmost respect to your homes and businesses and noise will be kept to a minimum."

Residents won't have long to wait to see their region's star turn - the series is scheduled to screen on ABC TV this year.

The six-episode series will follow detective Mackenzie "Mack" Clarke, an Australian who is a fast-rising "golden girl" in London's Metropolitan police - until she she has to return to Dolphin Cove where she grew up.

A paradise perhaps, but Mackenzie is not happy about it. Six years earlier she left the town - and a fiance at the altar - and vowed not to return, so the welcome given her by locals is less than warm. Then a murder takes place and Mack can't help but lend her skills to the task.

Given the fiance storyline, the use of the Uniting church makes it likely likely this will host the wedding-that-wasn't.

The original series was set in the Caribbean and the first spinoff, Beyond Paradise, was filmed in the impossibly picturesque seaside town of Looe in Cornwall, England.

So when producers needed an Australian setting for a Paradise, it's not surprising they settled on Wollongong's northern suburbs.

While interiors will be largely filmed in Sydney, Austinmer and surrounds will supply much of the outdoor scenes for a series that leans heavily on picturesque landscapes. The northern beaches of Sydney may also get a look in, the Mercury understands.

While the famed Lawrence Hargrave Drive carries more traffic and is colloquially known as "main road" to long-time residents, Moore St is Austinmer's defining strip, running from the train station to the beach.

A long, wide street lined with trees, with charming weatherboard houses and views to the escarpment and the ocean, it's easy to see why Moore St appealed to the BBC production.

Moore St, along with two nearby lanes, has been designated a heritage conservation area, and both the Uniting church and the group of shops where filming will take place are themselves heritage listed.