Dirt Werks: Posi Track & ExcavationsDirt WerksPosi Track & Excavations Call Luke0488 987 325 Get a quote

Lennox Head and Ballina, NSW

Excavation and earthmoving in Ballina

Ballina, the seat of Ballina Shire Council, sits at the mouth of the Richmond River. The town centre is on Ballina Island, bounded by the river, North Creek and the North Creek Canal, with East, North and West Ballina built around it. On a suburban block in town, the posi-track or the Kubota handles service trenches, garden digs and stumps, and the Fuso takes the spoil to a lawful tip.

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
Large black corrugated drainage pipe laid in a freshly dug trench, with the spoil heaped 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 Ballina

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

Trenching and drainage

Trenches for stormwater, power or water on town blocks across Ballina. Services are found by hand before the bucket goes near them, and Luke backfills once the licensed plumber or electrician has laid and connected.

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

Soil removal and tipper

Spoil goes on the Fuso to a lawful tip or approved site, with a docket. NSW EPA rules stop soil being classed as VENM where acid sulfate risk maps show any probability, unless testing clears it, so the destination is settled first.

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

Excavator hire

The Kubota or posi-track with Luke operating, for backyard levelling, digging out old garden beds and loading spoil, on jobs too big for a shovel and wheelbarrow.

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

Land clearing

Trees and stumps taken out at the owner's request once any permit is issued. The Kubota digs the stump out, the hole is backfilled and compacted, and the green waste goes straight onto the tipper.

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Ground and access in Ballina

Council's 2015 floodplain risk management plan describes Ballina as sited on relatively low-lying land. The NSW SES says the Richmond River adds to flooding in lower-lying areas, but the greater risk comes from North Creek and Emigrant Creek, and the CBD takes tidal flooding on extreme high tides of 1.8 m or more. In 2022, floodwater up to 75 cm deep covered urban parts of Ballina Island, West Ballina and North Ballina. Council says acid sulfate soils lie in layers through the floodplain at varying depths.

A town job comes down to side access, overhead power lines and a spot where the Fuso can park and tip. At the SES minor flood height, water spreads onto low roads in West Ballina, on Ballina Island and in North Ballina, so wet weather can hold a job up. Photos to send: the street frontage, the side gate with its width, and the exact spot for the dig.

Before you dig in Ballina

Ballina is in the Ballina Shire Council area. These rules are worth checking before the machine is booked. Luke lodges his own Before You Dig enquiry for every job.

CheckWhat it means
Acid sulfate soilsBallina Shire Council asks anyone planning excavation, or works that could lower the water table, on or next to the floodplain (below 10 m AHD) to check its acid sulfate soil risk maps first. Clause 7.1 of Ballina LEP 2012 needs consent for set works on land mapped Class 1 to 5, depending on the class and depth.
Bringing in fillCouncil says bringing in fill needs development consent in most cases, including before Council's own surplus fill is delivered. On flood-liable land, applications for earthworks or filling need a survey plan with levels to AHD.
Removing treesA Private Tree Permit, lodged through the NSW Planning Portal, must be issued before work starts. On RU1 and RU2 rural land, clearing may need approval under the Local Land Services Act 2013 instead.
Driveway crossingsBuilding, repairing or changing a driveway crossing needs section 138 consent from the roads authority, usually Council. It is separate from any DA or CDC.
Sediment and runoffCouncil warns that letting soil or sediment pollute waterways is an offence. Erosion and sediment controls should be checked daily and before and after rain.

How it works

From a photo to a finished job

  1. Call or text Luke a photo

    A wide shot, the gate or access, and the exact spot tells him most of what he needs.

  2. Get a free quote

    From your photos, or from a quick site look if the job needs it. No charge for either.

  3. Book a day

    Luke brings the right machine for the access and the job.

  4. Dig, cart and clean up

    Spoil goes out on his own tipper. The site is left tidy.

Got a job in Ballina?

Call Luke, text him a photo of the site, or send the details through the quote form. Quotes are free.

Call 0488 987 325Send the job details

Questions about earthworks in Ballina

Will a king tide or a flood hold up a job in Ballina?

It can. The NSW SES says low-lying roads in West Ballina can flash flood, and that it is worse when this coincides with salt water from an extreme high tide. In 2022 all main access roads into town were cut. If the site or the roads in are under water, the work waits until they clear, and Luke will tell you if the date has to move.

Do I need consent to dig on low ground in Ballina Shire?

Possibly. Ballina's LEP needs consent for some works on land mapped for acid sulfate soils, depending on the class and the depth of the dig, and Council asks you to check its risk maps before excavating on or near the floodplain. Check the maps first, and tell Luke the class when you send your photos.

Suburbs near Ballina

Luke works right across the area. Pick a neighbouring suburb, or see all of Lennox Head.

Sources (checked October 2026)
  1. NSW SES: Ballina flood guide (PDF, May 2026)
  2. NSW SES: Ballina local information
  3. Ballina Shire Council: Ballina Floodplain Risk Management Plan (PDF, BMT WBM, June 2015)
  4. Ballina Shire Council: Acid sulfate soils
  5. NSW EPA: Virgin excavated natural material
  6. Wikipedia: Ballina, New South Wales
  7. Ballina Shire Council: acid sulfate soils
  8. Ballina Shire Council: available fill material
  9. Ballina Shire Council: Private Tree Permit guide (PDF)
  10. NSW Planning Portal: Section 138 approvals

Get a quote

Your name, phone number, suburb and the type of job are all Luke needs. Everything else is optional, and photos help him quote without a site visit.

    Your details are used only to quote your job. Privacy policy. Prefer to talk? Call 0488 987 325 or text a photo.

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