Northern Gold Coast, QLD

Excavation and earthmoving in Coomera

Coomera, home to Dreamworld and Westfield Coomera, runs east of the M1 with the Coomera River as its southern boundary. About 20,200 people lived there at the 2021 census, and the Gold Coast Marine Industry Precinct sits on the lower river. Luke's Kubota excavator, ASV posi-track and Fuso tipper suit house-block jobs such as service trenches, stump removal and spoil cartage, with Luke operating.

  • Google 5.0 out of 5 from 2 reviews
  • Liability and equipment insurance held
  • ABN 58 346 068 875
  • Free quotes and site looks
  • Luke runs every machine himself
  • Liability and equipment insurance held
Black corrugated drainage pipe laid in a freshly dug trench, with an excavator bucket alongside
  • Owner-operatorLuke, over 10 years operating machinery
  • Based in MurwillumbahWorking the Gold Coast to Lennox Head
  • Insurance heldLiability and equipment, certificate on request
  • Google 5.0 out of 5From 2 reviews, October 2026
  • ABN 58 346 068 875Registered business name DIRT WERKS

Ground and access in Coomera

Downstream of the Pacific Motorway, Queensland's WetlandInfo story says the surface is mostly artificial fill and alluvium, giving flat land and broad channels, with canal estates, the Gold Coast City Marina and Shipyard and some cane farming along the lower Coomera River. It describes the lower river as vulnerable to large flows because it sits low in the catchment. The City adds that the river's lower floodplain has been reshaped for canal estates, marinas and golf courses.

On a Coomera house block, side access, retaining walls, fences and the street out front decide which machine fits and where the tipper parks. On canal or riverside lots the yard may be reachable only past the house. Send a photo of the narrowest gap with a tape in it, the work area, the exact spot and any overhead lines.

Before you dig in Coomera

Coomera is in the City of Gold Coast area. These rules are worth checking before the machine is booked. Luke lodges his own Before You Dig enquiry for every job.

CheckWhat it means
Protected trees and vegetationThe City says you may need its approval before removing or pruning trees on your property. City Plan protects assessable vegetation: anything over 4 m tall, any trunk 40 cm or more around at 1.4 m above the ground, and vegetation shown on the Vegetation Management Overlay Map. Some clearing is exempt, such as near boundary fences or approved buildings (distances depend on lot size) and within 1.5 m of a pool fence. Otherwise, lodge an operational works application for vegetation clearing first.
Filling or excavation that changes ground levelFilling or excavating a site can need development approval if it changes the ground level. City Plan Table 5.8.1 sets the triggers by zone. In the Low and Medium density residential zones, an application is generally needed once the work exceeds 40 cubic metres of fill or excavation, raises or lowers the ground by more than 1.0 m, or is tied to a material change of use or reconfiguring a lot. Rural, rural residential and conservation zones use other volume and boundary triggers, and overlays can catch smaller jobs.
Acid sulfate soils on low coastal landThe Queensland Government says coastal land below 5 m AHD, about 5 m above sea level, is likely to hold acid sulfate soils, which release acid and metals when dug up or drained. On a lot shown on the City Plan Acid sulfate soils overlay map with natural ground at or below 20 m AHD, digging out 100 cubic metres or more, or placing 500 cubic metres or more of fill averaging 0.5 m deep or more, at or below 5 m AHD needs code assessment.
Works in the road reserve: vehicular crossingsA vehicular crossing, the part of a driveway between the property boundary and the road, sits on public land. The City says you need its approval to build one, and property owners are responsible for building and maintaining it. A crossing that meets the City Plan standard needs an application for a standard crossing. One that can't meet it needs a development permit for operational works. The City's online questionnaire shows which applies, and crossings should be assessed before building approval is given.
Flood-prone land and the City's flood mapsThe City's flood maps show whether a property could be affected by flooding, and a Flood level search report gives a lot's Designated Flood Level. That report doesn't show the flood extent or cover local flash flooding. On land in the Flood assessment required area of the City Plan Flood overlay map, earthworks over 5 cubic metres that aren't part of building work or a material change of use need code assessment. Check before filling or reshaping a low yard.
Fire ant biosecurity zonesAs at October 2026, much of the Gold Coast is inside Queensland's fire ant biosecurity zones, which are reviewed monthly. If any part of a property touches a zone, the whole property counts as in it. Under the Biosecurity Regulation 2016, soil, fill, mulch, turf and quarry materials from inside the zones must be handled, stored and moved under set rules. Machinery must be cleaned of soil before it leaves a site in the zones. Check the address on the fireants.org.au map.

How it works

From a photo to a finished job

  1. Call or text Luke a photo

    A wide shot, the gate or access, and the exact spot tells him most of what he needs.

  2. Get a free quote

    From your photos, or from a quick site look if the job needs it. No charge for either.

  3. Book a day

    Luke brings the right machine for the access and the job.

  4. Dig, cart and clean up

    Spoil goes out on his own tipper. The site is left tidy.

Got a job in Coomera?

Call Luke, text him a photo of the site, or send the details through the quote form. Quotes are free.

Questions about earthworks in Coomera

Will Luke hit fill when digging near the Coomera River?

Quite possibly. WetlandInfo says the ground below the Pacific Motorway along the lower Coomera is mostly artificial fill and alluvium. Fill can hide things that aren't on any plan, so Luke lodges a Before You Dig enquiry and finds services by hand before the machine digs close. Tell him if you know of old drains, irrigation or buried rubbish in the yard, and he'll plan the dig and the tipper loads around it.

How do I check which of these rules apply to my lot?

Search the address on the City Plan map at cityplan.goldcoast.qld.gov.au and open Map Layers. Zones shows your lot's zone. Overlays includes Flood, Acid sulfate soils, Environmental significance (vegetation management), Bushfire hazard and Landslide hazard. Check the fire ant zone on the fireants.org.au map too, because zones change monthly. If you're still unsure, the City takes development questions on 07 5582 8708. Send Luke what you find, along with your photos.

Can soil from a Gold Coast job go to a tip in New South Wales?

Not without a permit. Under Queensland's fire ant rules, soil from a site in zone 2 can go directly to a waste facility in zone 2, but moving soil from inside the zones to anywhere outside them needs a biosecurity instrument permit, and the destination state's rules apply as well. Much of the Gold Coast is in zone 2 as at October 2026, so check the address first. Luke carts spoil to lawful tips or approved sites, with dockets.

Suburbs near Coomera

Luke works right across the area. Pick a neighbouring suburb, or see all of Gold Coast.

Sources (checked October 2026)
  1. Wikipedia: Coomera, Queensland
  2. Wikipedia: Coomera River
  3. Queensland Government WetlandInfo: Northern Gold Coast catchment story
  4. City of Gold Coast: Coomera River Catchment
  5. City of Gold Coast: Tree & vegetation removal on private land
  6. City of Gold Coast City Plan, version 14 (effective 29 September 2026): SC1.2 Administrative definitions
  7. City of Gold Coast: Change to ground level
  8. City Plan: 5.8 Operational work (Table 5.8.1 Change to ground level, Table 5.8.4 Vegetation clearing)

Get a quote

Your name, phone number, suburb and the type of job are all Luke needs. Everything else is optional, and photos help him quote without a site visit.

    Your details are used only to quote your job. Privacy policy. Prefer to talk? Call 0488 987 325 or text a photo.