Background
The Water Management (General) Regulation 2018 (the 2018 Regulation) will be automatically repealed (i.e. stop operating) on 1 September 2025 under the Subordinate Legislation Act 1989, following two one-year postponements of its scheduled repeal in 2023 and 2024. This is known as the staged repeal process.
Under the staged repeal process, NSW regulations are automatically repealed after 5 years, unless they are remade.
It is important to have regulations in place because they support the operation of the Water Management Act 2000.
The department is proposing to remake the 2018 Regulation by replacing it with the Water Management (General) Regulation 2025 and Water Management (Water Supply Authorities) Regulation 2025 and would like your feedback.
Timeline
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September 2023
- The 2018 Regulation repeal postponed to 2024
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September 2024
- The 2018 Regulation repeal postponed to 2025
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March 2025
- Proposed Water Management (General) Regulation 2025 and Water Management (Water Supply Authorities) Regulation 2025 on public exhibition
-
April 2025
- Public exhibition ends
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Late 2025
- What We Heard Report released
-
1 September 2025
- The 2018 Regulation ends
- Water Management (General) Regulation 2025 and Water Management (Water Supply Authorities) Regulation 2025 come into effect.
About the project
Most of the content of the two regulations will be similar to the 2018 Regulation, but the department proposes some changes that will:
- modernise water management system processes to improve user experience, customer service and administration, which includes allowing more processes to happen online and simplifying some requirements
- cut red tape by creating additional exemptions from approval requirements
- improve water management outcomes by strengthening environmental protection requirements, including by limiting some existing exemptions, and
- streamline and clarify the regulations to improve understanding and compliance.
Public exhibition documents
Here are the two proposed regulations and the Regulatory Impact Statement.
The Regulatory Impact Statement outlines proposed changes to the Water Management (General) Regulation 2018 and assesses the costs and benefits of these proposed changes, consistent with the requirements of the Subordinate Legislation Act 1989.
It also considers the alternative options of continuing with the existing regulation or allowing the regulation to lapse without it being replaced, as well as any potential alternatives to the proposed specific changes to the regulation.
Fact sheets and frequently asked questions
The following fact sheets and frequently asked questions provide more information on what is proposed to change when the two new regulations commence on 1 September 2025:
- Summary of all proposed changes to the regulations
- Proposed changes to water access licence (WAL) exemptions
- Proposed changes to specific purpose access licences (SPALs)
- Proposed changes to water supply work approval exemptions
- Proposed changes to water use approval exemptions
- Proposed changes to controlled activity approvals (CAA)
- Proposed changes to rules that apply to water supply authorities and their customers
- Proposed general changes
- Frequently asked questions
Public information sessions
A webinar was held on 26 March 2025 on the proposed changes to the water regulation and to answer your questions.
Water management regulation webinar
Watch the webinar of the meeting held on 26 March 2025.