State and Territory Water Departments

For each state and territory in Australia, key water agencies and departments are an essential element in conducting water trades, and understanding the regulations and policies regarding trades or water use/take.

This page contains the key departments in each state and territory.

New South Wales

Water Departments

  • WaterNSW supplies and seeks to improve availability of water that is essential for water users and communities throughout NSW.

    Their main roles include:

    • source water protection

    • bulk water supply

    • system operator

    • bulk water supply infrastructure planning, delivery and operation

    • customer water transaction and information services.

    To visit WaterNSW, see the link below:

    https://www.waternsw.com.au/

  • NSW Department of Industry—Water is responsible for planning, policy development, and regulatory frameworks for regional water in NSW. It develops, assesses and recommends changes to NSW’s water legislation, water sharing/water resource plans and water management rules. These plans, rules and legislation form the regulatory framework that all water users and operators must work within.

    The department’s roles include:

    • water planning, policy and regulation maintenance

    • providing regional water security

    • government relations

    • stakeholder engagement

    • local water utility maintenance.

    To visit the NSW Department of Industry, see the link below:

    https://water.dpie.nsw.gov.au/

  • The Natural Resources Access Regulator (NRAR) is responsible for compliance with and enforcement of the regulatory framework for water including water management rules, and licence and approval conditions.

    To visit the NRAR, please see the link below:

    https://www.nrar.nsw.gov.au/

  • NSW Office of Environment & Heritage (OEH) manages environmental water within NSW.

    To visit the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage, please see the link below:

    https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/

Queensland

Water Departments

  • Seqwater is the Queensland Bulk Water Supply Authority responsible for delivering safe, secure and cost-effective bulk water supply for more than three million people across South East Queensland.

    Seqwater is one of the largest water businesses with the most geographically spread and diverse asset base of any capital city water authority. Their operations extend from the New South Wales border to the base of the Toowoomba ranges.

    To visit their page, see the link below:

    https://www.seqwater.com.au/

  • Sunwater is a water service provider, handling and providing water throughout middle and north Queensland.

    To visit their page, see the link below:

    https://www.sunwater.com.au/

  • The department’s role is to ensure that water is managed fairly and responsibly and to make best use of our water resources by delivering sustainable, safe, secure and affordable water to all Queenslanders for today and tomorrow.

    To visit their page, see the link below:

    https://www.rdmw.qld.gov.au/water/regulatory-role

South Australia

Water Departments

  • SA Water manages water and sewage services in South Australia. This department is wholly owned by the Government of South Australia.

    To find out more, visit the link below:

    https://www.sawater.com.au/home

  • The Department for Environment and Water and regional landscape boards work together to manage South Australian water resources. Ensuring the quantity and quality of water.

    To find out more, visit the link below:

    https://www.environment.sa.gov.au/

Victoria

Water Departments

  • VicWater plays an important role in the Victorian water industry in influencing government policy, providing forums for industry discussions on priority issues, disseminating news and information on current issues to stakeholders, identifying training needs, and the production of performance reports and industry guides.

    VicWater has 18 members in its association for the water industry, all key departments for the water industry in Victoria:

    • Barwon Water

    • Central Highlands Water

    • Coliban Water

    • East Gippsland Water

    • Gippsland Water

    • Goulburn - Murray Water

    • Goulburn Valley Water

    • Greater Western Water

    • GWM Water

    • Lower Murray Water

    • Melbourne Water

    • North East Water

    • South East Water

    • Southern Rural Water

    • South Gippsland Water

    For more information, visit the link below:

    https://vicwater.org.au/about-us/our-members/

  • Managing Victoria’s groundwater, catchments and waterways, infrastructure, water saving and re-use projects, flood management, governance and water legislation, in partnership with a network of government agencies and water authorities.

    To see more, visit the link below:

    https://www.water.vic.gov.au/

Australian Capital Territory

Water Departments

  • The Environment and Planning Directorate has several roles in managing water in the ACT. This includes responsibility for high-level strategic water policy development, with the national water reform agenda and national competition issues relating to water access, pricing and trading.

    To see more, visit the link below:

    https://www.environment.act.gov.au/water

  • Icon Water is an unlisted public company wholly owned by the ACT Government. Icon Water owns and operates the water and sewerage assets and business in the ACT.

    For more information, please visit the link below:

    https://www.iconwater.com.au/

Western Australia

Water Departments

  • Also known as The Department of Water and Environmental Regulation.

    The Western Australian Department of Water maintains and manages the water in Western Australia to create security and sustainability now and in the future.

    Visit the link below for more information:

    https://water.wa.gov.au/

Northern Territory

Water Departments

  • Water resource management, conservation, monitoring, reporting, water licensing and water allocation plan, Darwin Harbour and rural groundwater.

    For more information, visit:

    https://depws.nt.gov.au/water

  • Power Water provide water to 90 communities across the NT. Water is primarily sourced from groundwater, especially water for remote customers. Darwin, Katherine and some remote communities also rely on surface water sources.

    For more information, visit:

    https://www.powerwater.com.au/

Tasmania

Water Departments

  • ​​​​​​​​​​​​​Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania provides services that contribute towards the sustainable use and management of the State's water resources. This includes: the design of policy and regulatory frameworks to ensure the equitable, efficient and sustainable allocation and use of surface and groundwater resources and the safety of dams; monitoring and assessment of the condition of the State's freshwater resources; and supporting the development of new irrigation schemes.

    For more information visit:

    https://nre.tas.gov.au/water

  • Visit TasWater at:

    https://www.taswater.com.au/