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Our client is a privately owned agricultural contracting business based in Emerald, QLD.

They work across the Central Highlands, generally within a 100km radius of town, with regular jobs around Comet, Springsure and Rolleston. Most work is close enough to get operators home at night, with only occasional work further afield.

The business runs two main service lines: agricultural spraying and earthworks. That covers self-propelled spraying and a broad spread of earthworks, from laser levelling and contour work to farm infrastructure, bankless channel work and irrigation field maintenance. They work for a mix of large corporate agribusinesses and private farms. The fleet sits at over 30 items of plant.

The owners built the business from the ground up and still work alongside the crew. They hold a high bar on clean gear, punctual starts, safe decisions and good client manners, and they back good people properly. Travel is paid, the gear is well supported, and operators are trusted to get on with the job.

The Role

You'll operate across spraying and earthworks, reporting directly to the owners.

Earthworks takes the larger share of the work at the moment. Contour work on the laser bucket, grain bunker construction and floodway crossings and repairs are the mainstay, with bankless field work lined up around Christmas. Spraying fills in around it, and often picks up when it's too wet to move dirt. The mix shifts with the season and the weather, so you'll move between the buckets, the excavator, the dump truck and the spray rig as the work dictates.

This is not a role where someone stands over you all day. You'll often work solo or in a small crew on client properties, managing your machine, your job and your maintenance list with minimal direction.

The right person takes pride in the way the job is done and doesn't wait to be told. That means checking rates before spraying, reading conditions properly, looking after the machine you're on, and turning up on a wet day with its service list already written. On a job, it means seeing the next step before anyone has to point it out.

For someone who wants variety, good hours,



and the freedom to operate without corporate layers, it's a strong fit. No clipboards for the sake of it, no standing around waiting for three approvals to move a shovel. Just good operators doing good work. Radical concept, apparently.

Key Responsibilities

- Run spraying operations. Operate self-propelled spray rigs across client properties, check chemical quantities and field areas before starting, and flag shortfalls before they become problems.
- Read conditions properly. Assess wind, weather and drift risk, and call out conditions that aren't right for spraying.
- Operate earthworks plant. Run tractors with laser buckets, excavators, dump trucks and other gear across levelling, contour work, bunkers, floodways and channel work.
- Deliver accurate field work. Work to GPS guidance where fitted, keep a clean finish, and complete jobs to the standard clients expect.
- Manage your own jobs. Take work from start to finish, often without an owner on site, while keeping communication clear and practical.
- Look after your machine. Carry out routine servicing, keep your machine clean and ready, and maintain a clear list of what needs parts, attention or follow-up.
- Represent the business well. Work safely, meet client site requirements including inductions and PPE, maintain good presentation, and deal with clients in a straight, respectful way.

What You Bring

You're a capable operator who takes pride in your work and doesn't need to be babysat.

Essential:

- Strong work ethic and the right attitude.
- Safe machinery operating experience, with the ability to pick up new gear.
- A record of maintaining your own machine, and of using wet days to get through its servicing.
- The judgement to think a job ahead and act on it without being told.




- Comfortable working autonomously with minimal supervision.
- Clear communication with owners, clients and other operators.
- Honest, accountable and reliable.
- Current Driver's Licence.

Advantageous:

- Agricultural spraying experience, including rate checks and reading conditions.
- Earthworks or laser levelling experience.
- Irrigation field development or maintenance experience.
- GPS or precision guidance experience.
- Mechanical aptitude for servicing and in-field troubleshooting (trade qualification not required).
- HC, MC or road train licence.
- Mixed farming background, where wearing a few hats is normal.

You don't need to tick every box. Plenty of good operators have learned spraying, levelling or new gear on the job, and what matters is that you're switched on, steady, honest and willing to learn. Candidates looking to step up are encouraged to apply, and operators from agriculture, earthmoving, civil, construction or mixed-fleet backgrounds will be well regarded. A connection to the Emerald district, or another reason to be there long term, is a plus.

What You'll Gain

- Package: $38 - $42 (neg) per hour flat rate + super + bonus, with the rate set on experience, plus a LandCruiser ute with full private use and servicing supplied.
- Hours: Around 55 to 65 hours per week.
- Travel: Your hours start when you leave home in the morning, not when you arrive on farm, with travel paid both ways.
- Housing: Net $420 per week rental subsidy, paid on top of wages.
- Lifestyle: Local work, rarely a night away from home, plus four weeks annual leave the business backs you to take.
- Support: Owners on the ground who back their people, help good operators get the licences and tickets to step up, and keep them well resourced.

How to Step Forward

For more information or a confidential chat, please contact Lemuel Cruz, Talent Specialist, on 0468 093 444 or Nick Marchant, Director, on 0466 333 066.

Who Are March

March offers permanent recruitment and workforce planning services tailored exclusively to Australian agribusinesses. We're about connecting top talent with outstanding businesses - plain and simple.

📌 Machinery Operator (Emerald)
🏢 March Talent Partners
📍 Emerald