Water access licence and water works and/or use approval exemptions
You don’t need to apply for a water access licence, water supply work, or water use approval if an exemption applies.
Water access licence exemptions
The Water Management (General) Regulation 2018 specifies a number of water access licence exemptions. A summary of these exemptions is below. You should refer to the regulation for a full description of these exemptions, including the circumstances when the exemption applies and any restrictions or limitations.
Exemptions for landholders
- collection of water from roofs in rainwater tanks by a landholder
- dams for specific purposes
- dams or excavations located on a river or lake
- works in lakes that are mainly dry
- works that impound water
- domestic electricity generation by a landholder.
Exemptions for public authorities
- road construction and maintenance by road authorities
- construction and maintenance of rail infrastructure by transport authorities
- dust suppression by public authorities
- operation of a hydro-electric power station
- environmental work construction.
General exemptions that can apply to any person
- drought relief water carting for domestic consumption and stock watering
- hydrostatic testing of gas pipelines
- prospecting or fossicking for minerals or petroleum
- water bore testing
- monitoring bores
- emergency safety measures
- establishment of sugar cane plantings
- basic human water needs.
Work approval exemptions
The Water Management (General) Regulation 2018 also specifies a number of water supply work approval exemptions. A summary of these exemptions is provided below. You should refer to the regulation for a full description of these exemptions, including the circumstances when the exemption applies, and any restrictions or limitations.
Exemptions for construction and use of a water supply work
- landholders with rainwater tanks
- landholders with dams within harvestable rights
- urgent basic human water needs
- emergency safety measures
- control or prevention of soil erosion.
Exemptions for water supply works — construction only
- prospecting or fossicking for minerals or petroleum
- water pipe to convey water from one place to another
- water reticulation work constructed on land that has a water use approval.
- exemptions for water supply use
- prospecting or fossicking for minerals or petroleum
- works to convey or impound water that were in use before 1 July 2004
- water reticulation work to convey water to land that has a water supply work approval
- works used in connection with a hydro-electric power station
- water tankers used to convey water for dust suppression by a public authority.
Fact sheets
Download these fact sheets for more information about exemptions for water access licences, water supply works and water use.
Not sure about what you need?
We've developed the Water Assist tool to help you work out who to talk to and what steps to take to get the licences and approvals you need.