Lennox Head and Ballina, NSW

Excavation and earthmoving in Skennars Head

Between Ballina and Lennox Head, Skennars Head takes its name from the nearby headland. Ballina Shire Council describes its older streets as wide roads with verges, lined with 1980s and 90s homes around two schools, and the Aureus Estate as smaller lots overlooking coastal wetlands. Blocks like these suit Luke's ASV posi-track and 5.5 t class Kubota for trenches, levelling and clean-ups, with the Fuso tipper carting spoil away.

  • 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

Ground and access in Skennars Head

Council's Lennox Head Strategic Plan puts housing on the Skennars coastal rise, with land undulating west down to coastal wetlands and south to the sand flats of the Aureus Estate. For the Skennars Head Expansion Area, part of the land known locally as the Stewart Farm and rezoned for housing in 2014, Council's 2018 planning proposal recorded ground levels from under 2 m AHD in the west to 18 m AHD in the east. It noted that parts of that land are flood prone and parts bushfire prone, and that it is not mapped for acid sulfate soils.

The older streets have wide roads and verges, which gives the Fuso room to pull up. The Aureus Estate sits back from The Coast Road behind public open space, on smaller lots where side access can be narrow. Send a photo from the street, the side gate or path with its width, the exact spot to be dug, and any power lines near where the tipper would stand.

Before you dig in Skennars Head

Skennars Head 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 Skennars Head?

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

Questions about earthworks in Skennars Head

My Skennars Head lot has a narrow side path. Can a machine reach the backyard?

Measure the tightest gap between the house and the fence, then send it with a photo taken from the street. Luke picks the ASV posi-track or the Kubota to suit, and if neither will fit he says so before anything is booked. He also needs a firm spot out front where the Fuso can park and tip.

How do I find out if my block near the wetlands is flood prone?

Start with Ballina Shire Council's Property Flood Information Reports and online flood mapping. For the Skennars Head Expansion Area, Council's 2018 planning proposal found parts of the land flood prone and proposed no housing in the flood-affected areas. Send Luke the flood report along with your photos, so the plan for spoil and drainage suits the site.

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 Skennars Head

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

Sources (checked October 2026)
  1. Wikipedia: Skennars Head, New South Wales
  2. Visit NSW: Skennars Head
  3. Ballina Shire Council: Lennox Head Strategic Plan 2023-2043 (PDF, adopted October 2023)
  4. Ballina Shire Council: Planning Proposal 17/010 Skennars Head Expansion Area (PDF, January 2018, on the NSW Planning Portal)
  5. Ballina Shire Council: Floodplain management
  6. Ballina Shire Council: acid sulfate soils
  7. Ballina Shire Council: available fill material
  8. Ballina Shire Council: Private Tree Permit guide (PDF)
  9. 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.