Southern Gold Coast, QLD
Excavation and earthmoving in Coolangatta
Three beaches, Kirra Hill, Greenmount Hill and the Point Danger headland fit into Coolangatta's 1.8 square kilometres, and the state border runs along the ridge at Boundary Street. For a house yard on one of the hills or a unit site near the beach, Luke brings the ASV posi-track or the 5.5 t class Kubota to suit the access, with the Fuso tipper to cart spoil away.
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

- 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 Coolangatta

Soil removal and tipper
Renovation spoil from a unit or house on a tight site can go straight from the machine's bucket into the Fuso, then out to a lawful tip or approved site, with dockets to show where it went.
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Trenching and drainage
New sewer, stormwater or power connections for an older building need a trench dug to the line and depth the plumber or electrician sets. Luke digs it, and once the trade has the services laid and connected, he backfills and compacts the trench.
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Excavator hire
Builders and landscapers on the hills can have Luke and the Kubota on site for digging and loading in spaces where a larger machine won't fit, with the tipper on the same booking.
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Land clearing
Stumps, overgrown gardens and unwanted trees on a hillside block are removed at the owner's request, and the grab loads logs and branches straight onto the tipper for the tip.
See moreGround and access in Coolangatta
The suburb is a string of headlands and beaches. Kirra Hill rises to 27 m and Greenmount Hill to 32 m, Murraba reaches 70 m on the border, and Point Danger is a steep headland. A breakwater running out from Kirra Hill protects Coolangatta Beach from erosion. The beaches are also fed by the Tweed Sand Bypassing project, a joint Queensland and New South Wales scheme that traps sand on the southern side of the Tweed River entrance and pumps it to the southern Gold Coast beaches, mainly through its Snapper Rocks East outlet.
On Kirra Hill, Greenmount Hill and the streets near Point Danger, the grade and the street parking shape the plan as much as the gate. Send a photo from the street showing the slope, the side access with a tape across it, and where the Fuso could stop and tip on level, firm ground. For a unit block, say who manages the property.
Before you dig in Coolangatta
Coolangatta is in the City of Gold Coast 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 |
|---|---|
| Protected trees and vegetation | The City says you may need its approval before removing or pruning trees on your property. City Plan protects assessable vegetation: anything over 4 m tall, any trunk 40 cm or more around at 1.4 m above the ground, and vegetation shown on the Vegetation Management Overlay Map. Some clearing is exempt, such as near boundary fences or approved buildings (distances depend on lot size) and within 1.5 m of a pool fence. Otherwise, lodge an operational works application for vegetation clearing first. |
| Filling or excavation that changes ground level | Filling or excavating a site can need development approval if it changes the ground level. City Plan Table 5.8.1 sets the triggers by zone. In the Low and Medium density residential zones, an application is generally needed once the work exceeds 40 cubic metres of fill or excavation, raises or lowers the ground by more than 1.0 m, or is tied to a material change of use or reconfiguring a lot. Rural, rural residential and conservation zones use other volume and boundary triggers, and overlays can catch smaller jobs. |
| Acid sulfate soils on low coastal land | The Queensland Government says coastal land below 5 m AHD, about 5 m above sea level, is likely to hold acid sulfate soils, which release acid and metals when dug up or drained. On a lot shown on the City Plan Acid sulfate soils overlay map with natural ground at or below 20 m AHD, digging out 100 cubic metres or more, or placing 500 cubic metres or more of fill averaging 0.5 m deep or more, at or below 5 m AHD needs code assessment. |
| Works in the road reserve: vehicular crossings | A vehicular crossing, the part of a driveway between the property boundary and the road, sits on public land. The City says you need its approval to build one, and property owners are responsible for building and maintaining it. A crossing that meets the City Plan standard needs an application for a standard crossing. One that can't meet it needs a development permit for operational works. The City's online questionnaire shows which applies, and crossings should be assessed before building approval is given. |
| Flood-prone land and the City's flood maps | The City's flood maps show whether a property could be affected by flooding, and a Flood level search report gives a lot's Designated Flood Level. That report doesn't show the flood extent or cover local flash flooding. On land in the Flood assessment required area of the City Plan Flood overlay map, earthworks over 5 cubic metres that aren't part of building work or a material change of use need code assessment. Check before filling or reshaping a low yard. |
| Fire ant biosecurity zones | As at October 2026, much of the Gold Coast is inside Queensland's fire ant biosecurity zones, which are reviewed monthly. If any part of a property touches a zone, the whole property counts as in it. Under the Biosecurity Regulation 2016, soil, fill, mulch, turf and quarry materials from inside the zones must be handled, stored and moved under set rules. Machinery must be cleaned of soil before it leaves a site in the zones. Check the address on the fireants.org.au map. |
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 Coolangatta?
Call Luke, text him a photo of the site, or send the details through the quote form. Quotes are free.
Questions about earthworks in Coolangatta
Can Luke work at a unit complex?
Yes, once the body corporate or property manager has approved the work. Send photos of the work area, the way in from the street and where the tipper could stop. Say if the job is near a building, boundary wall or buried lines, because Before You Dig plans mainly show network services, not private pipes and cables inside the property. Luke finds services by hand before the machine digs close.
How do I check which of these rules apply to my lot?
Search the address on the City Plan map at cityplan.goldcoast.qld.gov.au and open Map Layers. Zones shows your lot's zone. Overlays includes Flood, Acid sulfate soils, Environmental significance (vegetation management), Bushfire hazard and Landslide hazard. Check the fire ant zone on the fireants.org.au map too, because zones change monthly. If you're still unsure, the City takes development questions on 07 5582 8708. Send Luke what you find, along with your photos.
Can soil from a Gold Coast job go to a tip in New South Wales?
Not without a permit. Under Queensland's fire ant rules, soil from a site in zone 2 can go directly to a waste facility in zone 2, but moving soil from inside the zones to anywhere outside them needs a biosecurity instrument permit, and the destination state's rules apply as well. Much of the Gold Coast is in zone 2 as at October 2026, so check the address first. Luke carts spoil to lawful tips or approved sites, with dockets.
Suburbs near Coolangatta
Luke works right across the area. Pick a neighbouring suburb, or see all of Gold Coast.
Sources (checked October 2026)
- Wikipedia: Coolangatta
- Queensland Government: Tweed Sand Bypassing
- City of Gold Coast: Tree & vegetation removal on private land
- City of Gold Coast City Plan, version 14 (effective 29 September 2026): SC1.2 Administrative definitions
- City of Gold Coast: Change to ground level
- City Plan: 5.8 Operational work (Table 5.8.1 Change to ground level, Table 5.8.4 Vegetation clearing)
Related

Gold Coast
Excavator, posi-track and tipper work on the Gold Coast: trenching, clearing, stump and soil removal. Luke drives up from Murwillumbah.
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Soil removal and tipper
Soil, spoil and rubbish removal to lawful tips, tipper hire with driver, and gravel, road base and soil delivered. Tweed to Ballina.
See moreTrenching and drainage
Trenching for plumbing, power and drainage, Gold Coast to Lennox Head. Before You Dig checked, dug to grade, backfilled.
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