Plan the year
The WA earthmoving calendar
Western Australia has two seasons that matter to anyone with a digger: the dry, when the ground is hard and the fire rules apply, and the wet, when the coastal plain fills with water. Here is how the year runs.
January Peak heat
- Total Fire Ban days are common; no machinery in paddocks during a Harvest and Vehicle Movement Ban
- Ground is at its hardest on the coastal plain and in the Hills; rip before you dig
- Start early, finish by early afternoon, keep radiators clean
- Good month for pool digs in sand: dry walls, no water table
February Peak heat
- Hottest month on average; hydraulic oil temperatures climb fast
- Maintain firebreaks; regrowth after any summer rain must be cleared
- Order attachments now for autumn drainage work
- Check rubber tracks for heat cracking
March Late summer
- Still dry; last chance to clean soaks and small dams before the break
- Dam wall repairs while clay is workable and water is low
- Firebreak obligations continue until the end of the restricted period in most shires
April Autumn
- Best digging month of the year: ground softening, cool days, long before the water table rises
- Drainage, ag-drains and spoon drains before the rain arrives
- Fence lines and post holes in the Wheatbelt and Great Southern
- Restricted burning period ends in many shires; check yours
May The break
- The break of season usually arrives; clay goes from concrete to sticky within weeks
- Trench and lay pipe before the ground saturates
- Retaining wall footings while sand still holds a face
- Service machines before winter: filters, coolant, battery
June Winter
- Water table rises on the Swan Coastal Plain; trenches in Byford, Baldivis and Wanneroo fill overnight
- Shift to Hills and gravel work, or hard-stand jobs
- Rubber tracks on wet lawns: minimal turning
- Good month for shed slabs and site cuts in gravel country
July Winter
- Wettest month for Perth on average
- Access is the limiting factor: wide tracks, low ground pressure, timber mats
- Firewood, log splitting and tree work with a grapple
- Plan spring jobs and order machines; delivery lead times are shortest now
August Late winter
- Ground still saturated on the plain; free-draining sand blocks near the coast recover first
- Vineyard and orchard replanting in the Swan Valley and South West
- Prepare firebreak plan; regrowth is about to take off
September Spring
- Short spring window opens: soft ground, mild days
- Landscaping season begins; lawns, garden beds and reticulation
- Slash and cut firebreaks before grass cures
- Busiest month for machine sales; stock moves fast
October Spring
- Grass cures rapidly; first firebreak notices fall due in some shires
- Reticulation and soakwell installs before summer
- Horse arenas and yards: base and sand while the ground is firm
- Wildflower season: avoid clearing native vegetation without a permit
November Early summer
- Most firebreak deadlines: 1 November or 1 December depending on your shire
- Restricted burning period begins
- Ground hardening on the plain; last soft-ground jobs
- Harvest begins in the Wheatbelt; watch for Harvest and Vehicle Movement Bans
December Summer
- Firebreaks must be installed and maintained
- Christmas shutdown: finish trenches or backfill them; open holes and holidays don't mix
- Pool digs and retaining walls in sand; deliveries slow between Christmas and New Year
- Store machines under cover; UV and heat harden tracks
Two rules that override the calendar
Fire. Check Emergency WA before starting a machine in a paddock or bush between November and April. Total Fire Bans and Harvest and Vehicle Movement Bans prohibit it, and your shire's firebreak notice sets your deadline.
Services. Lodge a free Before You Dig Australia enquiry before every excavation, in any month.