Murwillumbah and the Tweed Valley, NSW

Excavation and earthmoving in Tyalgum

Tyalgum is a village about 26 km west of Murwillumbah by road, in a valley shaped by the Border Ranges and Wollumbin. Cedar cutters came first, then dairying and cropping, and the rural properties around the village bring the jobs that go with that land: tracks, drains, dams and fence lines. Luke's tracked excavator and posi-track suit the hill country, and the Fuso brings quarry gravel in.

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

Orange Kubota excavator behind a round concrete in-ground tank being set into an excavation on a bush block

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 Tyalgum

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

Driveway repairs

Tyalgum averages more than 1,500 mm of rain a year, so long gravel drives need water taken off them. Luke sorts the drainage first, then tips, spreads and rolls fresh gravel.

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

Trenching and drainage

Culverts under farm tracks and ag drains through soaks are laid by Luke himself on rural jobs. Service trenches in the village are his to dig and backfill, with the pipe or cable laid and connected by your licensed plumber or electrician.

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

Land clearing

Fence lines, regrowth and storm-felled trees on Tyalgum farms cleared at the owner's request, stumps out root ball and all, with logs moved and stacked using the grab.

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

Soil removal and tipper

Slumped soil, flood debris and spoil from drainage work loaded and carted on the tipper to lawful tips or approved sites, with dockets, and quarry gravel brought back for tracks.

Ground and access in Tyalgum

Creeks meet at Tyalgum near the head of the Oxley River, which rises on the southern slopes of the McPherson Range and runs 23 km to the Tweed at Byangum. Rain averages about 1,555 mm a year, mostly in summer. In the 2022 flood, a hillside about 4 km east of the village gave way into the Oxley River. Council put the slip at about 100 m high, 60 m long and up to 10 m deep, and it took out part of Tyalgum Road.

Tyalgum Road is the direct way in, and while the 2022 slip was being rebuilt, residents had to take the longer detour via Chillingham. On farms, the gate, any creek crossing and the steep sections of the track set the limits for the tipper. Send Luke photos of each, plus the work spot, and say how wet it has been.

Before you dig in Tyalgum

Tyalgum 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 Tyalgum?

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 Tyalgum

There's a slump on the slope above my place. Can Luke dig it out?

Not until someone has looked at why it moved. In 2022 a hillside east of Tyalgum slid all the way into the Oxley River, and Council's geotechnical assessment found that slip could keep moving, especially after more rain. Get a geotechnical engineer's advice first, then Luke can do the earthworks they specify, fix the drainage feeding the slope and cart the spoil away.

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.