Tweed Heads and the border, NSW

Excavation and earthmoving in Cobaki

On the Queensland border, Cobaki is thinly settled: the 2011 Census counted 225 residents. NSW groundwater notes from the late 1990s listed it among the Tweed's undisturbed or pastoral lands. The large estate Council calls the Cobaki development, approved for about 5,500 dwellings, adjoins Cobaki Creek and the Cobaki Broadwater. Luke works at the scale a rural block or a finished house lot needs, with an excavator, a posi-track and a 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

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 Cobaki

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

Trenching and drainage

Low paddocks that hold water after rain can be drained with ag drains, or a track carried over a culvert. Out here Luke handles the whole job, from digging to laying the pipe to backfilling. Settle any approvals for work near the Broadwater first.

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

Land clearing

Old pasture gone to regrowth, and stumps left in paddocks, can be cleared if the owner asks. With coastal saltmarsh and a protected wetland close by, check which vegetation approvals apply before the machine starts.

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

Driveway repairs

On low rural blocks, water lying on a gravel drive softens the base and breaks up the surface. Luke digs out the weak sections, brings new gravel on the Fuso, shapes a crown so water runs off, then waters and rolls it.

Ground and access in Cobaki

Cobaki Broadwater is a shallow estuarine lake in the lower Tweed estuary, fed by Cobaki and Piggabeen creeks. Council's page on the estate records coastal saltmarsh and a protected coastal wetland beside it, and NSW SES says flooding on Cobaki Creek can cut off areas and force road closures. The NSW groundwater notes explain that saltmarsh grows on floodplain soils of estuarine sediment and alluvium, and that acid sulfate soils form when drainage lets air into marine and estuarine sediments.

On a rural block the way in is usually a farm gate and a long drive. Photograph the gate with a tape across it, the driveway surface and any soft or boggy patches, and show where a loaded tipper could turn around. On low ground, photos taken after rain tell Luke more than ones from a dry week.

Before you dig in Cobaki

Cobaki 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 Cobaki?

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 Cobaki

Will Luke work inside the new Cobaki estate?

Not on the estate's civil works. The approval for the Cobaki development covers staged bulk earthworks, and that land forming sits with the developer's own project. Once a house is built, Luke can take on the smaller jobs: a trench for your plumber or electrician, spoil carted away, or auger holes for a fence. Check any covenants on your title before landscaping.

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.