“Jono is reliable and dependable. He communicates so we are not kept guessing. Recommend him to anyone.” - Hon Young 
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Hi, I'm Jono.
Fifteen-plus years on excavators, and I run machines through the southern lake and up around the bay for builders, trades and homeowners. Small enough to fit down the side of a house, big enough to cut a shed pad, and you deal with the operator instead of a booking desk.
Steep Blocks, Old Mine Country and Lakeside Sand
Excavation around Lake Macquarie tends to hinge on three things. How steep the block is, what’s under the surface, and whether the job needs anyone’s approval before a machine turns up.
I run 1.7T to 8T excavators from Morisset and Cooranbong through Toronto and Warners Bay across to Swansea and Belmont. The 1.7T fits standard side gates and handles the tight lakeside blocks, the larger machines cut pads and driveways, and a tipper clears the spoil so it isn’t sitting on your verge for a fortnight. Fully licensed and insured.
What Lake Macquarie Blocks Throw at You
Large parts of Lake Macquarie sit over old coal workings and fall inside declared Mine Subsidence Districts, which cover suburbs like Cardiff, Edgeworth, Boolaroo, Teralba, Awaba, Wyee and Morisset among others. In those areas, certain work including retaining walls, pools, slabs and structures generally needs approval from Subsidence Advisory NSW on top of anything council requires. It's a free check on their site and it's the single most common thing people up here don't know about until late. I'll flag it if your address looks like it applies.
Conglomerate and sandstone from the Newcastle Coal Measures turn up through Cardiff, Charlestown, Awaba and Whitebridge, sometimes shallower than anyone expects. Older industrial pockets can also hide imported fill. The 1.7T carries a rock hammer and bigger gear comes in if the ground demands it. You'll hear what we've hit and what it changes before it appears on an invoice.
The blocks running down to the water at Warners Bay, Eleebana, Valentine, Speers Point, Fishing Point and Wangi Wangi often fall away hard at the rear, and the same goes for the ridges through Whitebridge, Dudley and Charlestown. Getting a usable pad usually means benching, a retaining wall, or both. Walls over 600mm generally need approval through Lake Macquarie City Council or a private certifier, and going close to a boundary can trip that threshold earlier. I build to your engineer's or certifier's spec.
Dora Creek, Bonnells Bay, Brightwaters and the Cooranbong flats hold water, and the coastal strip at Blacksmiths, Caves Beach, Swansea, Marks Point and Redhead is largely sand. Wet ground affects how spoil is handled and when the job should run. Sand digs fast but won't hold a trench wall on its own, so battering or shoring goes in as a matter of course.
Trenches for plumbing, stormwater, electrical and comms, plus NBN pit and pipe installs. Older lakeside streets have services in odd places, so I work off Dial Before You Dig plans and hand dig where those plans call for it.
Overgrown blocks and small trees cleared, then the ground stripped and graded so new turf sits level and sheds water. Common job on the larger blocks through Cooranbong, Martinsville and Wyee Point.
Driveways, paths and slabs broken out with the jackhammer attachment and carted off. Plenty of the post-war housing through Boolaroo, Cardiff and Windale is on original concrete that’s cracked or lifted.
Timber, concrete sleeper, sandstone or rock. Constant work on the falling rear yards at Eleebana, Valentine and Warners Bay. Over 600mm generally needs approval, and inside a Mine Subsidence District you may need a Subsidence Advisory NSW tick as well. I build to what your engineer or certifier has specified.
Laser-levelled pads for sheds, garages, granny flats and pools. On a sloping lakeside block this is where the shape of the whole job, and most of the cost, gets set.
Augered holes in a range of sizes for fencing, decks and pergolas. Clean, consistent depth, which matters more in sand near the coast than most people assume.
1.7T mini excavator with augers and rock hammer, available wet or dry. Larger machines on request if the job outgrows the small gear.
Spoil, rubble and green waste taken away, either alongside the excavation or as a standalone run. Worth booking together, since excavation produces more material than most people expect
Not sure which of these your job needs?
Get in touch and lets talk it through.
Who I Work For Around Lake Macquarie
Builders and civil contractors after a subbie who shows up on the day. Site cuts, footings, service trenches and clean-ups on residential and light commercial work through the southern lake and the Morisset growth corridor.
Trades including plumbers, sparkies, fencers and landscapers who need a machine and operator for a day or two rather than a purchase.
Homeowners and owner-builders doing a pool, a shed slab, a driveway, or finally levelling the back half of a block that’s been unusable since they bought it.
Four things worth sorting before a machine is booked.
Over 15 Years’ Experience in Mini Excavation
Reliable, On-Time & Easy to Work With
Owner-Operated with Pride in Every Job
1.7T to 8T Machines Available
Fully Licensed & Insured
Excavation Lake Macquarie FAQs
Need a machine on your Lake Macquarie site?
Reach out for a quick quote or to lock in a date.
Morisset, Cooranbong, Dora Creek, Bonnells Bay, Brightwaters, Wyee, Wyee Point, Martinsville, Toronto, Wangi Wangi, Awaba, Blackalls Park, Fassifern, Teralba, Boolaroo, Speers Point, Warners Bay, Eleebana, Valentine, Mount Hutton, Windale, Belmont, Marks Point, Swansea, Caves Beach, Blacksmiths, Cardiff, Charlestown and Whitebridge.
Working south of the lake? See the main excavation services page, the Wyong page or the Gosford page.