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Driveways and approvals, Tweed to Ballina

Earthworks guides for Tweed, Byron and Ballina property owners

Two things worth settling before a machine turns up: how to fix a gravel driveway so it stays fixed, and which approvals you need before anyone digs.

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  • Plain steps for gravel driveways and council rules
  • Each rule linked to its official source
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Dirt Werks Kubota U55-4 excavator, ASV RT-60 posi-track and Fuso Fighter tipper parked side by side

Gravel driveway and council approval guides

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

How to regrade a gravel driveway so it stays fixed

Why gravel driveways pothole, rut and wash out, and why the fix starts with the shape and drainage, not more gravel. Covers the steps Luke follows, what changes the cost and why work on the crossover at the road needs council approval first.

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Black corrugated drainage pipe laid in a freshly dug trench, with an excavator bucket alongside

Do you need council approval to excavate in the Tweed, Byron or Ballina shires?

When digging needs approval first: the 600 mm exempt line, cut and fill limits, acid sulfate soils, section 138 for driveway crossovers, tree clearing, filling land and fire ant zones. Also covers Before You Dig, power line clearances and trench safety, each rule linked to its source.

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Questions these guides answer

  • Will more gravel fix my potholes? Not for long if water sits on the drive or runs down it. The shape and drainage come first. See regrading a gravel driveway.
  • Do I need approval for driveway work at the road? Yes. Building, repairing or changing a driveway crossing in the road reserve (the verge) needs section 138 approval under the Roads Act 1993, usually from your council. Tweed and Byron councils both want it before work starts. See the council approval guide.
  • Is Before You Dig free? Yes, lodging an enquiry is free. Asset owners are encouraged to reply within 2 business days, so lodge a few days ahead. Luke checks the plans and potholes by hand before the machine digs near services.
  • Can soil leave a fire ant zone? Only under the conditions of the NSW Biosecurity (Fire Ant) Emergency Order. As at Order No. 10, published 1 September 2026, the Murwillumbah and Wardell (Ballina Shire) movement control areas remained in place, and NSW land within 5 km of detections in Queensland and Tweed Heads South is in the fire ant infested area. Moving soil, mulch, quarry materials or earth-moving equipment out of those areas is restricted, so check the current zone map first.

General information, not approval advice

The guides give the rules as at the date shown, each linked to where it comes from. Rules change, so check with your council, certifier or builder what applies to your block.

Sources (checked October 2026)
  1. NSW Planning Portal: Section 138 approvals
  2. Tweed Shire Council: Driveways
  3. Byron Shire Council: Driveways
  4. Before You Dig Australia: FAQs
  5. Tweed Shire Council: Fire ants
  6. NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development: Fire ant map of infestations and zones
  7. NSW DPIRD: Plain English Guide, Biosecurity (Fire Ant) Emergency Order (No. 10) 2026, 1 September 2026 (PDF)

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