Murwillumbah and the Tweed Valley, NSW

Excavation and earthmoving in Uki

In the heart of the Wollumbin caldera, Uki is one of the largest rural villages in the Tweed Valley, built along Kyogle Road beside the Tweed River. Village lots average about 2,000 square metres, and beef cattle remain a feature of the farms around it. Luke's 5.5 t Kubota, ASV posi-track and Fuso tipper suit that mix: services and drainage in the village, and drives, tracks and clearing on the farms.

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

Creek crossing with a cut earth ramp leading down to a new concrete causeway over a culvert pipe

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 Uki

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

Driveway repairs

On the steep country around Uki, runoff down a drive strips the gravel. Luke cuts drains and lays culverts to turn the water off, then re-sheets, levels, waters and rolls the drive. Sealing is done by others.

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

Land clearing

Where grassed valleys meet forested slopes around Uki, fence lines and tracks can disappear under regrowth. Luke clears scrub and removes trees and stumps at the owner's request, using the grab for the logs, once approvals are sorted.

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

Trenching and drainage

Uki has a catchment-based sewerage system and a water supply that Council's village plan calls limited. When a service line is laid or replaced, Luke digs the trench and backfills it, while a licensed plumber or electrician handles the laying and connecting.

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

Excavator hire

On beef cattle properties around Uki, book the Kubota to dig and load, the posi-track to spread and grade, or both, with Luke on the controls. Where a track needs a pipe under it, he lays the culvert himself.

Ground and access in Uki

The Tweed volcano erupted about 23 million years ago, and Wollumbin is its central core. Uki lies in a vegetated valley of the Tweed River, where forested mountains with steep terrain stand over grassed rural valleys. Inside the village the topography shapes the street grid, and the southern part has larger lots with irregular setbacks. Uki's village DCP puts the area at a relatively high threat from bushfire and flooding. Council's list of places hit harder by the 2022 flood than by earlier ones included Uki.

Homes in the southern part of the village are often partly hidden from the road by trees or the fall of the land, so a photo of the driveway entry from the street helps. Add the steepest part of the drive, the work spot, and where the tipper could stand on level, firm ground.

Before you dig in Uki

Uki 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 Uki?

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 Uki

Can Luke clear around my Uki house to cut bushfire fuel?

Yes, when you ask for it and any approval has been granted. Uki's village DCP notes a relatively high bushfire threat. Where clearing is needed to reduce fuel, it asks for weeds and exotic species to go first, with native plants kept or replanted. Luke pulls stumps and roots with the Kubota and grab, and the green waste leaves on the Fuso for a lawful tip or approved site.

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.