The Broadwater, QLD

Excavation and earthmoving in Southport

Southport is the Gold Coast's central business district, and 198.3 ha of it is a Priority Development Area. Just over half the occupied homes counted in 2021 were flats or apartments, and under a quarter were separate houses. The towers are work for far bigger plant. Luke's 5.5 t Kubota, ASV posi-track and Fuso tipper suit the house blocks, townhouse yards and small commercial sites around them.

Call Luke 0488 987 325 Text Luke a photo

Or send the job details online

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

Jobs Luke takes on in Southport

Dirt Werks Kubota U55-4 excavator, ASV RT-60 posi-track and Fuso Fighter tipper parked side by side

Excavator hire

Book Luke with the Kubota or posi-track for digging, loading out and moving soil on a small commercial site or house yard near the CBD. It's wet hire only, with Luke running every machine.

Orange Kubota excavator at the end of a deep, clean-walled trench in red soil, with drainage pipe ready beside it

Trenching and drainage

Every Southport trench starts with Luke's own Before You Dig enquiry, and he finds services by hand before the bucket gets close. Your licensed plumber or electrician puts in the pipe or conduit and makes the connections, and Luke backfills.

Large tree stump and root ball dug out by a Kubota excavator on a rural property

Soil removal and tipper

Spoil, old fill and garden waste from a house or small commercial job, loaded straight onto the Fuso so it doesn't sit on the footpath, then carted to a lawful tip or approved site, with dockets.

Ground and access in Southport

Queensland's catchment notes for the Broadwater creeks around Southport and Loders Creek describe fractured metamorphic rock under the higher ground and alluvium in the lower areas, with hard surfaces in built-up parts letting little rain soak in. Loders Creek runs past Southport State High School to the Broadwater at Len Fox Park, and the Nerang River forms the suburb's south-eastern edge. Tell Luke about any rock you've met in past digs on the higher ground.

Near the CBD, a machine and tipper need a legal place to stand, so send Luke a street view, the driveway or rear access, and any overhead wires, awnings or tight corners. For a house block, a wide yard photo, the side gate with a tape across it and the exact dig spot are enough to start.

Before you dig in Southport

Southport 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.

Check	What it means
Protected trees and vegetation	The 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 level	Filling 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 land	The 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 crossings	A 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 maps	The 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 zones	As 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

Call or text Luke a photo
A wide shot, the gate or access, and the exact spot tells him most of what he needs.
Get a free quote
From your photos, or from a quick site look if the job needs it. No charge for either.
Book a day
Luke brings the right machine for the access and the job.
Dig, cart and clean up
Spoil goes out on his own tipper. The site is left tidy.

Got a job in Southport?

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

Call 0488 987 325 Send the job details

Questions about earthworks in Southport

My property is inside the Southport PDA. Does that change anything for a small dig?

The Priority Development Area covers 198.3 ha of the Southport CBD, and the City of Gold Coast assesses development applications there. If your dig is part of a development, your builder or planner can confirm which approvals apply. For a trench, a garden dig-out or soil removal on an existing property, send Luke the address and photos, and he'll quote the work.

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.