Queensland
Contact us now about water in QLD
Queensland Water Legislation
Water in Queensland is governed by the Water Act 2000 (Qld) in conjunction with the Water Act 2007 (Cth).
In summary, the purposes of the Act are to provide a framework for:
the sustainable management of Queensland’s water resources and quarry material by establishing a system for the planning, allocation and use of water; and the allocation of quarry material and riverine protection;
the sustainable and secure water supply and demand management for the south-east Queensland region and other designated regions;
the management of impacts on underground water
caused by the exercise of underground water rights by the resource sector;
the effective operation of water authorities.
This is sourced directly from s 2 of the Water Act 2000 (Qld).
Image sourced from https://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/view/html/inforce/2018-10-25/act-2000-034.
Water Allocation
A water allocation is an authority to take water. It is also an entitlement to a share of the available water resource in a water catchment.
Similar to a land title, a water allocation has a title separate from a land title and can be bought and sold independently similarly to land. This enables water allocation holders to voluntarily buy water to expand their operations or sell water they don't need by prices set by the market.
Anyone can buy a water allocation – you do not need to be a landholder – however, movement of the water is restricted by trading rules specified in a water management protocol or the Water Regulation 2016.
Water Licence
Granted under the Water Act 2000 (Qld), a water licence is a licence to:
take water
interfere with water
or both of the above.
You may need a water licence for taking or interfering with surface water, overland flow water or underground water.
Water Permit
Certain guidelines apply to the use and allocation of water resources in Queensland. Permits are a method of approving water for a specific use.
Queensland Water Rights
Contact Australian Water Consultancy today to learn more.