Cut & Fill

Morven Lane, Blenheim — 3,000m³ Hilltop Platform

When a Morven Lane homeowner needed to create usable flat ground on a steep hilltop section to extend their home, they called DirtPro to make it happen.

Over approximately two months, we shifted close to 3,000 cubic metres of material from the hillside using a 14-tonne Hitachi ZX135 excavator, a Hitachi ZX55 mini excavator, and our Isuzu CXZ 390 tipper truck — creating a 1,000m² platform that is now the foundation for a new home extension. Following the earthworks, a further three weeks were spent with the ZX55 trenching services and spreading gravel across the cut area to prepare it for construction.

One of the key goals on this job was keeping all cut material on-site. Through careful planning, every cubic metre of excavated fill was reused to build up the platform — nothing wasted, nothing carted away. Vegetation was separated out for burn-off.

The site threw some real challenges at us. Steep access made machine positioning critical throughout the job, and two significant weather events slowed progress and created hazards that had to be managed safely before work could continue. Working in close proximity to neighbouring properties also required careful planning at every stage.

Rather than install a formal drainage system, the platform was deliberately contoured to naturally shed water and prevent pooling — a cost-saving measure for the client that works with the land rather than against it.

The house extension is now underway. It's a great outcome on a tough site.

Recent drone shots show the completed 1,000m² platform from above — you can see how it sits perched on the steep Morven Lane hilltop, the scale of the cut bank that was carved out, and the panoramic Marlborough vineyard views the new home extension will enjoy.