Managing your water access licence

What you need to know in order to manage your water access licence (undertake a dealing).

Managing your licence (undertake a dealing)

You will need a water access licence such as a zero share water access licence to participate or trade water in the NSW water market. A certificate of title is issued and must be provided in any water transaction. Any change to a water access licence must be registered with NSW Land Registry Services (LRS) within six months of the change. Failure to do so results in the approval being revoked and may lead to a breach of the Water Management Act 2000.

Water transactions can be complex and WaterNSW recommends seeking advice from an independent source familiar with the individual circumstances.

Water access licence changes made through WaterNSW are listed below:

What access licence change (dealing)Fact sheet Guide Form
Nominate or withdraw a nomination for a water supply workFact sheet Guide Form
Temporarily assign water allocated to a water allocation account to another access licence in NSW (71T) or interstate (71V) Fact sheet NA Available on our trading water webpage.
Nominate (or change) a water supply work or extraction point against an access licence, for those in a NSW or interstate water tagging zoneFact sheet Guide Form
One or more co-holders of an access licence extinguish their holding and a new access licence is granted Fact sheet Guide Form
Change a share component in a different water management area or source Fact sheet Guide Form
Cancel original licence/s and sub-divide or consolidate in the same water management area or source Sub-divide fact sheet

Consolidate fact sheet

71P 1a Guide


71P 1b Guide

71P 1a Form


71P 1b Form

Convert to a different category or sub-category in the same water management area or source (71O) Fact sheet Guide Form
Permanently assign rights in the same water management area or source to another licence/s of the same category (71Q) Fact sheet Guide Form
Assignment of individual daily extraction component (IDEC) to another licence (71QA) Fact sheet Guide Form
Amend an extraction component (71S) Fact sheetGuideForm
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Land Registry Services (LRS) – Contact for Transfer of water access licence (S71M) and Term Transfer of entitlements under an access licence (S71N).

The NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (NSW DCCEEW) –  issues water access licences for state significant developments, mining operations, irrigation corporations and government entities. However, WaterNSW handles all changes to water access licences for customers of NSW DCCEEW.

Natural Resources Access Regulator (NRAR) is responsible for the enforcement of water laws in NSW.

Details on current NSW water access licences are held on the Water Register.

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WaterNSW acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands and waters on which we work and pay our respects to all elders past, present and emerging. Learn more