{"id":"water-resources-surface-water-prescribed-area-morambro-catchment-regulations-2001","name":"Water Resources (Surface Water Prescribed Area—Morambro Catchment) Regulations 2001","slug":"water-resources-surface-water-prescribed-area-morambro-catchment-regulations-2001","collection":"regulation","jurisdiction":"sa","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":238296,"registerId":"sa-water-resources-surface-water-prescribed-area-morambro-catchment-regulations-2001-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-06","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Water Resources (Surface Water Prescribed Area—Morambro Catchment) Regulations 2001","content":"South Australia\nWater Resources (Surface Water Prescribed Area—Morambro Catchment) Regulations 2001\nunder the Water Resources Act 1997\n\nContents\n1\tShort title\n2\tCommencement\n3\tDeclaration of surface water prescribed area\n4\tThe establishment and prescribed periods\nLegislative history\n\n1—Short title\nThese regulations may be cited as the Water Resources (Surface Water Prescribed Area—Morambro Catchment) Regulations 2001.\n2—Commencement\nThese regulations come into operation on the day on which they are made.\n3—Declaration of surface water prescribed area\nThe area bounded by the bold black line on GRO Plan No 149/2001 is declared to be a surface water prescribed area.\n4—The establishment and prescribed periods\n\t(1)\tThe establishment period in relation to the surface water prescribed area declared by regulation 3 commenced on 1 July 1996 and ended at the commencement of the prescribed period (22 April 1999).\n\t(2)\tThe prescribed period in relation to the surface water prescribed area declared by regulation 3 commenced on 22 April 1999 and will end on 31 March 2003.\nLegislative history\nNotes\n\t•\tFor further information relating to the Act and subordinate legislation made under the Act see the Index of South Australian Statutes or www.legislation.sa.gov.au.\nPrincipal regulations\nYear\nNo\nReference\nCommencement\n2001\n33\nGazette 12.4.2001 p1606\n12.4.2001: r 2\n","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The regulations do not expand or reduce regulatory powers beyond declaring the Morambro Catchment a surface water prescribed area (reg 3) and specifying the establishment and prescribed periods (reg 4). They explicitly backdate the establishment period to 1 July 1996 (reg 4(1)) and fix the prescribed period to 22 April 1999–31 March 2003 (reg 4(2)). Any obligations, fees or licences flow from the Water Resources Act 1997 rather than from these regulations themselves."},"complexity_factors":["Very short instrument: only four regulations (limited number of operative clauses).","Geographic scope depends on an external map (GRO Plan No 149/2001) to define boundaries (reg 3).","Uses retrospective dating for the establishment period (commences 1 July 1996) (reg 4(1)).","Operative legal effects require cross-reference to the Water Resources Act 1997 (interpretive dependency).","Temporal limitation: prescribed period ends 31 March 2003 (reg 4(2)), making the instrument narrowly time-bound.","No substantive procedural or fee mechanisms in the text—implementation and compliance consequences are effected under the primary Act."],"plain_english_summary":"These regulations declare the Morambro Catchment to be a surface water prescribed area (reg 3) and fix the relevant time windows: an establishment period from 1 July 1996 to 22 April 1999 and a prescribed period from 22 April 1999 to 31 March 2003 (reg 4). They do not themselves set fees or licence conditions; they determine where and when the Water Resources Act 1997's surface-water rules apply by reference to GRO Plan No 149/2001 (reg 3)."},"summary":{"complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"Unable to assess whether the scope changed from original intent — the legislation text was not accessible due to a website error. The title suggests a geographically specific and technically narrow instrument focused on the Morambro Catchment, which is consistent with typical prescribed area water regulations."},"complexity_factors":["No actual legislative text was retrievable — only a website error page was returned","The title suggests geographic and technical water law concepts (catchment boundaries, prescribed areas, surface water distinctions) that would add complexity if the text were available","Regulations of this type typically cross-reference parent Acts (likely the Water Resources Act 1997 SA) which adds interpretive layers","Score is kept low because no substantive content could be assessed"],"plain_english_summary":"This South Australian regulation (2001) designates the Morambro Catchment as a prescribed surface‑water area, setting legal controls over use of rivers, streams and runoff in that catchment. It primarily affects landowners, farmers, irrigators and businesses drawing surface water there.\n\nThe regulation text could not be retrieved for detailed analysis; prescribed‑area rules typically govern who may take water, how much, licensing and penalties to protect supplies and the environment."},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This legislation remains tightly focused on its original purpose: declaring a specific geographic area as a surface water prescribed area and setting the relevant time periods for water licensing. There is no evidence of scope creep; the regulations are purely procedural and geographic in nature."},"complexity_factors":["Extremely short—only 4 substantive regulations","No defined terms section; relies entirely on parent Act (Water Resources Act 1997) for definitions","Minimal conditional logic—only simple date ranges in regulation 4","Single cross-reference to a map (GRO Plan No 149/2001) rather than legislative cross-references","No exceptions, exemptions, or nested provisions","Purely declaratory and administrative in nature—simply establishes a geographic boundary and time periods"],"plain_english_summary":"**What this does:**\n\nThese regulations declare a specific area in South Australia—the **Morambro Catchment**—as a \"surface water prescribed area\" under the Water Resources Act 1997. This means the government is putting special rules in place to manage how surface water (water in rivers, creeks, and lakes) is used in this particular region.\n\n**Who it affects:**\n\n- **Landholders and water users** in the Morambro Catchment area (shown on a map called GRO Plan No 149/2001)\n- **Farmers, irrigators, and businesses** who take water from surface sources in this area\n- **Government water managers** who must enforce water allocation rules during the \"prescribed period\"\n\n**Why it matters:**\n\nWhen an area becomes a \"prescribed area,\" it triggers a formal water licensing system. This means:\n- People can no longer just take surface water freely—they need a **water licence**\n- The government can **cap** total water use to prevent over-extraction\n- Existing water users had an \"establishment period\" (1 July 1996 to 22 April 1999) to secure their rights\n- The \"prescribed period\" (22 April 1999 to 31 March 2003) is when the licensing rules are fully active\n\nEssentially, this is a technical legal step to protect water resources in the Morambro Catchment from being overused, ensuring sustainable water management for the environment and future users."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/water-resources-surface-water-prescribed-area-morambro-catchment-regulations-2001","history":"/api/acts/water-resources-surface-water-prescribed-area-morambro-catchment-regulations-2001/history","analysis":"/api/acts/water-resources-surface-water-prescribed-area-morambro-catchment-regulations-2001/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/water-resources-surface-water-prescribed-area-morambro-catchment-regulations-2001/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/water-resources-surface-water-prescribed-area-morambro-catchment-regulations-2001/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/water-resources-surface-water-prescribed-area-morambro-catchment-regulations-2001/documents"}}