Managing your water access licence

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.

WaterNSW role

Water Access Licence changes made through WaterNSW are below. Links are to detailed fact sheets, forms and guides:

• Sub-divide or consolidate access licences (71P) – Cancel original licence/s and sub-divide or consolidate in the same water management area or source. (71P 1a Form) (71P 1a Guide) (71P 1b Form) (71P 1b Guide)
• Convert an access licence to a new category (71O) – Convert to a different category or sub- category in the same water management area or source. (Form) (Guide)
• Assign rights in an access licence to another licence/s (71Q) – Permanently assign rights in the same water management area or source to an access licence/s of the same category. (Form) (Guide)
• Assignment of individual daily extraction component (IDEC) to another licence (71QA) – Permanently assign to another access licence. (Form) (Guide)
• Change a water source (71R) – Change a share component in a different water management area or source. (Form) (Guide)
• Amend an extraction component (71S) – Amend access licence extraction component for taking water – times, rates, areas, or locations. (Form) (Guide)
• Application to change a water access licence (71W) – To nominate or withdraw a nomination for a water supply work. (Form) (Guide)
• Assign water allocations between access licences (71T, 71V) – Temporarily assign water allocated to a water allocation account to another access licence in NSW (71T) or interstate (71V). (Forms)
• Propose or withdraw nomination for an interstate water supply work (71W) – Nominate (or change) a water supply work or extraction point against an access licence, for those in a NSW or interstate water tagging zone. (Form) (Guide)
• Exit a Co-held access licence (S74) – One or more co-holders of an access licence extinguish their holding and a new access licence is granted. (Form) (Guide)

Land Registry Services and Department of Planning & Environment - Water role

Land Registry Services (LRS) – Contact for Transfer of water access licence (S71M) and Term Transfer of entitlements under an access licence (S71N).

Department of Planning and Environment -Water (DPE-Water) –  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 DPE-Water.

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.