Pottsville, Cabarita and the southern Tweed Coast, NSW

Excavation and earthmoving in Wooyung

South of Pottsville, Wooyung is a small coastal locality with Wooyung Nature Reserve on its northern side. Grazing land and cane fields surround the reserve, and Mooball Creek winds between the outer barrier sands and the coastal plain behind them. On rural blocks here, the 5.5 t Kubota handles drains and trenches, and the ASV posi-track grades tracks and drives. Loads of road base arrive, and surplus sand departs, on the Fuso tipper.

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 Wooyung

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

Trenching and drainage

Where paddocks sit on the poorly drained creek flats, Luke digs farm drains and lays the culvert and ag drain pipe himself. For a house, he digs and backfills the service trench while your licensed plumber or electrician lays and connects.

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

Driveway repairs

Rural drives over soft coastal ground need a firm base under the gravel. Luke prepares it and tips road base through the tailgate, then spreads it with the posi-track. A hired water truck wets it and his own roller compacts it.

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

Soil removal and tipper

Surplus sand and spoil leave on the Fuso, about 7.5 t a load, for lawful tips or approved sites, and every load gets a docket. Soils this erodible are better carted away than left in loose heaps.

Ground and access in Wooyung

The NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) plan for Wooyung Nature Reserve describes marine sediments laid down in the last sea level rise, which ended about 6,000 years ago. Beach and foredune sands drain fast, and the outer barrier dunes are highly permeable sand. The narrow Mooball Creek floodplain holds poorly drained clay, silt, sand and gravel. NPWS rates these soils highly erodible and prone to heavy soil loss once dug. The dunes were mined for rutile and zircon in the 1960s and 1970s, and NSW SES says major floods can inundate Wooyung.

On sandy ground, the tracked Kubota and ASV posi-track spread their weight, but the Fuso tipper is a truck and needs firm ground to stand and tip on. Along with a wide photo and the spot itself, show Luke the gate and the track in from the road, and point out any soft sand or boggy patches near the creek.

Before you dig in Wooyung

Wooyung straddles the Tweed and Byron shire boundary, so check which council your lot is in. The table shows the Tweed Shire Council rules. 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 Wooyung?

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 Wooyung

Is loose coastal sand harder to trench?

It changes how Luke goes about it. Beach and dune sand here drains fast, and sandy trench walls can slump. Open trenches are barricaded, and nobody steps in while the Kubota is digging. Once your licensed plumber or electrician has laid and connected, Luke backfills and firms the trench with the compaction wheel. Any spare sand leaves on the Fuso.

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.