Murwillumbah and the Tweed Valley, NSW

Excavation and earthmoving in Tumbulgum

Where the Rous River meets the Tweed, Tumbulgum was the valley's principal town in the 1880s. Today it is a heritage conservation area under Tweed LEP 2014. Small, similar-sized lots sit on a grid of streets off Riverside Drive, and cane fields surround the village. The 5.5 t Kubota and ASV posi-track suit trenches and yard work on those lots, and the Fuso tipper carts spoil and material.

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 Tumbulgum

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 Tumbulgum's small lots, sewer, water and power trenches run close to houses and fences. The Kubota opens each trench, your licensed plumber or electrician lays and connects, and Luke closes it up again.

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

Soil removal and tipper

The 2022 flood destroyed a number of buildings in Tumbulgum. Silt that floodwater leaves in a yard can be scraped up with the posi-track and trucked to a lawful tip or approved site, with a docket for each load.

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

Excavator hire

Where space on a Tumbulgum lot is tight, a builder or landscaper can hire Luke with the Kubota or posi-track to dig, load and level, and keep the Fuso running spoil out.

Ground and access in Tumbulgum

NSW SES says Tumbulgum floods from both rivers, with low-lying cane fields on its eastern side. Even the 1.4 m minor flood height on the Tumbulgum gauge cuts Dulguigan Road opposite the village, and by 2.0 m every road out is closed. February 2022 set the flood of record at 4.77 m, and Council called Tumbulgum one of the Tweed's hardest hit localities. Rainforest still covers the hills north of the river, protected under the Tweed LEP.

Lots here are small and most houses are two storeys, so measure the side gap and gate, and photograph the route from the street to the job. Say where the Fuso can stand to be loaded off Riverside Drive. The village is cut off once the river rises, so Luke books work here around the weather.

Before you dig in Tumbulgum

Tumbulgum 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 Tumbulgum?

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 Tumbulgum

Water from the cane drains gets into my yard. Will a drain fix it?

A drain can move rain that falls on your yard, but it can't hold back a river flood. NSW SES notes the cane drains behind the village can spill into Irving Street and then Bawden Street in severe weather, often before the river breaks over Riverside Drive. Luke can dig a trench to carry yard water to the street or an approved system, and your licensed plumber lays and connects the pipe.

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.