Murwillumbah and the Tweed Valley, NSW

Excavation and earthmoving in Chillingham

Chillingham sits along the winding Rous River about 14 km north-west of Murwillumbah, with rainforest close by and farms around the village. The village is zoned RU5, and the rural properties beyond it are where dams, farm tracks, drains and fence-line clearing come up. Luke's 5.5 t Kubota digs, the ASV posi-track shapes and spreads, and the Fuso tipper carts road base in or spoil out.

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

Newly dug farm dam holding water beside a freshly formed dirt track, with forested hills behind

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 Chillingham

Kubota excavator arm and bucket clearing dense overgrown scrub and long grass

Land clearing

Regrowth along fence lines and paddock edges on Rous valley properties cleared at the owner's request, with stumps lifted out root ball and all and logs handled with the grab.

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

Trenching and drainage

On rural jobs Luke lays culvert pipe under farm tracks and ag drains through wet ground himself. A village house needing water or power gets its trench dug and backfilled by Luke, ready for your licensed plumber or electrician to lay and connect.

Freshly graded gravel driveway curving through bushland, Kubota excavator and ASV posi-track parked beside it

Driveway repairs

Gravel drives that wash out in the January to April wet get their drainage fixed first. Then road base goes down through the tailgate, is spread with the posi-track, watered from a hired water truck and rolled.

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

Excavator hire

Wet hire of the Kubota with Luke on the controls suits farm dams, tank installs and auger holes for fence posts and sheds on Chillingham properties.

Ground and access in Chillingham

The Rous River rises on the southern slopes of the McPherson Range near Numinbah and flows through Chillingham on its way to the Tweed at Tumbulgum. NSW groundwater mapping notes record rhyolites of the Chillingham Volcanics outcropping here, so tell Luke if your block has turned up rock before. Across the valley, the same notes describe well-drained, basalt-derived krasnozems on the steeper slopes and patchy alluvium along the drainage lines.

If the job is up a long driveway or farm track off Numinbah Road or one of its side roads, the gate width, any creek crossing and the steepest pinch decide which machine goes in. The excavator and posi-track run on tracks, but the Fuso only tips on firm, level ground. Send Luke a wide shot of the work area, the gate and the worst section of the track.

Before you dig in Chillingham

Chillingham is in the Tweed Shire Council 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
Acid sulfate soils on low ground	Tweed Shire Council says acid sulfate soils are common along the Tweed Coast. Written approval is needed in most cases before they're disturbed, and Council's management plan for minor works can't be used where groundwater is likely to be disturbed or dewatering is likely. Those jobs need a site-specific plan.
Bringing in fill	Council says filling land needs development consent in most cases. On flood-prone land, get a Section 10.7 certificate and a Property Flood Report for your lot before any fill is ordered, because flood planning levels change as flood studies are updated.
Trees and clearing	On non-rural land, clearing declared vegetation needs Council approval, which is free to lodge. That includes native plants 4 m or taller or 10 cm or more in diameter, any tree 40 cm or more in diameter, preferred koala food trees and threatened species. On rural RU1 and RU2 land, clearing native vegetation may need approval under the Local Land Services Act 2013.
Driveways and the road reserve	Any work in the road reserve, including a driveway across the verge or a kerb and gutter change, needs Council consent under section 138 of the Roads Act 1993 before it starts.
Near creeks and the estuary	To count as exempt development, earthworks must be at least 40 m from natural water and must not redirect water or carry sediment onto a neighbour's land. Work on waterfront land can also need a controlled activity approval from NSW Water.
Fire ants	Parts of the Tweed are in the NSW fire ant biosecurity zone. Earthmoving machinery must be cleaned free of soil before it leaves, and soil, fill and quarry products moved out of the area follow set rules. Zones change, so check the current NSW DPIRD maps.

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 Chillingham?

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 Chillingham

Is there flood mapping for Chillingham yet?

Yes. Tweed Shire Council's Tweed Valley Flood Study update, adopted in July 2024, covers the upper parts of the valley for the first time, naming Tyalgum, Chillingham and Uki. Before you plan fill, a dam wall or a new track on low ground near the Rous River, ask Council what the study shows for your lot. Luke can then build to the levels and approvals the job needs.

Does Tweed Shire Council need to approve my earthworks?

It depends on the job. Small earthworks can be exempt development if they meet the NSW standards, such as staying at least 40 m from natural water and not sending water or sediment onto a neighbour. Fill, acid sulfate soils, flood-prone land, trees and work in the road reserve each have their own approvals. Check with Council on 02 6670 2400 before the machine is booked.