Directional drilling, conduit and vacuum excavation, Canberra and the ACT

Who does horizontal directional drilling in Canberra?

Spot On Excavations, based in North Richmond, NSW, does horizontal directional drilling, conduit installation and vacuum excavation in Canberra and the ACT, and Canberra is where our recent posted work outside Sydney sits. Plant is trucked down from our yard and the crew works the job as a block. If you need drilling or vacuum excavation in Canberra and want a contractor who has already worked there, the projects below show what we have posted.

ACT NBN conduit and pit work

We have worked on the NBN rollout across the ACT, installing 63 mm SDR13.6 PE100 conduit supplied with a manufacturer Certificate of Compliance, and pits to match. See the projects page for the details. For telcos and civil contractors building out telecommunications networks, the pipe and conduit installation page explains how we handle conduit, pits, proving and handover.

Water in the War Memorial precinct

In 2025 we posted a 250 mm water main installed by drilling in the Australian War Memorial precinct, including the 250 mm pipe pull-back. As the post is the only source, we describe it as work we have been involved in and nothing more.

Rock ground and what it means

Canberra and its surrounds have rock close to the surface in many places, in the older suburbs and on the hills. Our dual-rod Vermeer D40x55DR S3 is built for that ground, and we have drilled rock shots before. We do not publish bore length or rock strength figures, because they depend entirely on the site. A geotechnical report or a test pothole helps us quote honestly. See horizontal directional drilling for the rigs.

Working in the ACT

The ACT has its own approvals and asset-owner requirements, and they change with the job. We lodge Before You Dig Australia (BYDA) enquiries before every job and work to the asset owner's requirements, whoever that is. Tell us the owner and the specification when you ask for a quote. We also work near the border at Queanbeyan and Googong in NSW, and nothing about those suburbs needs a different crew.

How does a Sydney-based contractor work in the ACT?

The trip from North Richmond to Canberra is long, so we plan Canberra jobs in blocks, not single days. Larger or multi-day scopes suit us best, and a conduit program with many crossings suits us better still. Vacuum excavation and potholing in Canberra can be added to a drilling job, or booked alone through vacuum excavation.