Licence applications & fees

Responsibilities for granting and managing water licences are shared between the Natural Resources Access Regulator (NRAR) and WaterNSW.

For detailed information, go to Governance.

Rural landholders and rural industries

WaterNSW is your one stop shop for licensing services for rural landholders and industries.

For information about other licensing requirements, visit the Natural Resources Access Regulator.

You can apply for a new water access licence:

with zero licence shares - to take water you will need to purchase licence shares or water allocations on the water market
with a specific purpose relating to domestic consumption, water utilities, Aboriginal cultural or pumped hydro construction and storage fill purposes
- see fact sheet on Water access licence requirements for Pumped hydro-electricity generation schemes for further information
in accordance with the rules for granting new water access licences in the relevant water sharing plan
if you have acquired the right to apply through a controlled allocation process.

You can apply for a new Water Act 1912 licence:

relating to lakes and rivers, and drainage works (Part 2 licence):
- surface water licence - for single landholding with the same landholders
- authority for joint water supply scheme - for multiple landholdings with different landholders
- surface water permit - duration up to two years.
relating to aquifers and aquifer interference activities (Part 5 licence).

Water Act 1912 licence		Forms
Lakes and rivers, and drainage works	Surface water licence	Application form (PDF, 699.39 KB)
	Authority for joint water supply scheme	Application form (PDF, 534.79 KB)
	Surface water permit	Application form (PDF, 621.43 KB)
Aquifers and aquifer interference activities	Groundwater licence	Application form (PDF, 291.27 KB)

For information about application fees for new water licences, download the fact sheet: Water licences - application fees 2019-2020 (PDF, 120.72 KB)

WaterNSW is responsible for managing applications to amend water licences, including for our department’s customers.