I have not worked on a kit like this but I can see some binding on the inside of the f holes in the photos. That would be hard to scrape so masking is best. Same with the binding around the edge of the body.
Given how much rain we have had in Sydney over the last couple of weeks the timber has probably absorbed moisture from the air. Might be best to give it a bit of time for the timber to settle after the high levels of rain we have had rather than jumping in and sanding and having a loose fitting neck. Some other Sydney residents might some ideas to throw in on this one.