NORTHERN TERRITORY OF AUSTRALIA
WATER REGULATIONS 1992
As in force at 13 September 2025
Table of provisions
Part 1 Preliminary
1 Citation ............................................................................................ 1
2 Commencement .............................................................................. 1
2A Definitions ........................................................................................ 1
3 Applications and forms .................................................................... 1
Part 3 Permits and licences
Division 1 Permits and licences except drilling licences
5 Water investigation permit ............................................................... 2
6 Permit to interfere with waterway..................................................... 3
7 Bore work permit ............................................................................. 4
8 Surface water extraction licence ...................................................... 4
9 Groundwater extraction licence ....................................................... 4
9AA Fee for groundwater extraction licence for petroleum activity
that includes hydraulic fracturing ..................................................... 4
9A Waste discharge licence .................................................................. 5
Division 2 Drilling Licences and Qualifications
10 Drilling licence ................................................................................. 5
11 Section 53 – prescribed information and samples ........................... 5
12 Functions of Drillers' Qualifications Advisory Committee ................. 7
13 Membership ..................................................................................... 7
13A Meetings .......................................................................................... 7
14 Qualifications ................................................................................... 8
Division 2A Licence to take groundwater for exempt
activity
14A Licence to take groundwater in former Darwin Rural Water
Control District ................................................................................. 8
14AB Licence to take groundwater in Adelaide River area ....................... 9
14B Application requirements ................................................................. 9
14C Application procedure .................................................................... 10
Water Regulations 1992 ii
Division 2B Licence to take water for mining or petroleum
activity
14D Licence to take water for mining or petroleum activity ................... 11
Division 3 General
15 Renewal of permits and licences ................................................... 12
16 Permits or licences lost or destroyed ............................................. 12
17 Register of licences ....................................................................... 12
18 Joint interests ................................................................................ 13
Part 4 Infringement notice offences
19 Infringement notice offence and prescribed amount payable ........ 14
20 When infringement notice may be given ........................................ 14
21 Contents of infringement notice ..................................................... 14
22 Electronic payment and payment by cheque ................................. 15
23 Withdrawal of infringement notice.................................................. 16
24 Application of Part ......................................................................... 16
Part 5 Transitional matters for Water Legislation
Miscellaneous Amendments Act 2019
25 Application of regulation 15 ........................................................... 16
Schedule Infringement notice offences,
environmental offence levels and
prescribed amounts
ENDNOTES
Section 1 - WATER REGULATIONS 1992 - WATER REGULATIONS 1992 | Zoe
NORTHERN TERRITORY OF AUSTRALIA
As in force at 13 September 2025
WATER REGULATIONS 1992
Regulations under the Water Act 1992
Part 1 Preliminary
1 Citation
These Regulations may be cited as the Water Regulations 1992.
2 Commencement
These Regulations shall come into operation on the
commencement of the Water Act 1992.
2A Definitions
In these Regulations:
approved form means a form approved by the Controller or
Minister under regulation 3(2).
former Darwin Rural Water Control District means the part of the
Territory declared by the Minister under section 22 of the Act to be
a water control district and allocated the name "Darwin Rural Water
Control District" on 17 May 1999 and published in Gazette No. G21
of 2 June 1999.
infringement notice, see regulation 20.
infringement notice offence, see regulation 19(1).
prescribed amount, see regulation 19(2).
relevant land, in relation to an application made under the Act,
means the land to which the application relates.
3 Applications and forms
(1) A person who makes an application under the Act must lodge the
application with the Agency.
Part 3 Permits and licences
Division 1 Permits and licences except drilling licences
Water Regulations 1992 2
(2) The Controller may approve the forms to be used under the Act,
other than the form to be used for an application for a water
investigation permit under section 36 of the Act.
(2A) The Minister may approve the form to be used for an application for
a water investigation permit under section 36 of the Act.
(3) An application required to be in accordance with an approved form
must include, or be accompanied by, all the information required by
the form that is necessary for the person to whom the application is
made to make a proper decision.
(4) An application is taken to be lodged when sufficient information to
enable a proper decision to be made under the Act is given to the
Agency.
(5) A public sector employee of the Agency may return, without further
consideration, any application that does not include sufficient
information to enable a proper decision to be made.
Part 3 Permits and licences
Division 1 Permits and licences except drilling licences
5 Water investigation permit
(1) An application under section 36(1) of the Act for a permit to explore
for water (a water investigation permit) must be in accordance
with the approved form.
(2) The Minister may publish notice of the application in any manner
that makes it publicly available in the Territory.
(3) The notice must include the following:
(a) a description of the relevant land;
(b) the person to whom enquiries about the application may be
directed;
(c) the way in which objections to the granting of the water
investigation permit may be made;
(d) any other information determined by the Minister.
(4) The costs of publishing the notice must be met by the applicant for
the water investigation permit.
Part 3 Permits and licences
Division 1 Permits and licences except drilling licences
Water Regulations 1992 3
(5) If a notice is published, the Minister must give a copy of the notice
to the owners and occupiers of land in the vicinity of the relevant
land that the Minister considers may be affected by the grant of the
water investigation permit.
(6) Subregulation (2) does not apply if the application is for the renewal
of an existing water investigation permit and is made not later than
20 business days before the date on which the existing permit is
due to expire.
(7) A water investigation permit must be in the approved form.
6 Permit to interfere with waterway
(1) An application under section 41(1) of the Act for a permit to
interfere with a waterway must be in accordance with the approved
form.
(2) The Controller may publish notice of the application in any manner
that makes it publicly available in the Territory.
(3) The notice must include the following:
(a) a description of the relevant land;
(b) the person to whom enquiries about the application may be
directed;
(c) the way in which objections to the granting of the permit may
be made;
(d) any other information determined by the Controller.
(4) The costs of publishing the notice must be met by the applicant for
the permit.
(5) If a notice is published, the Controller must give a copy of the notice
to the owners and occupiers of land upstream or downstream of the
relevant land that the Controller considers may be affected by the
grant of the permit.
(6) Subregulation (2) does not apply if the application is for the renewal
of an existing permit and is made not later than 20 business days
before the date on which the existing permit is due to expire.
(7) A permit to interfere with a waterway must be in the approved form.
Part 3 Permits and licences
Division 1 Permits and licences except drilling licences
Water Regulations 1992 4
7 Bore work permit
(1) An application under section 57(1) of the Act for a permit to carry
out an operation referred to in section 56(1) of the Act (a bore work
permit) must be in accordance with the approved form.
(2) A bore work permit must be in the approved form.
8 Surface water extraction licence
(1) An application under section 45(1) of the Act for a water extraction
licence to take water (a surface water extraction licence) must be
in accordance with the approved form.
(2) A surface water extraction licence must be in the approved form.
9 Groundwater extraction licence
(1) An application under section 60(1) of the Act for a water extraction
licence to take water from a bore (a groundwater extraction
licence) must be in accordance with the approved form.
(2) A groundwater extraction licence must be in the approved form.
9AA Fee for groundwater extraction licence for petroleum activity
that includes hydraulic fracturing
(1) The holder of the licence must pay a fee for the grant or issue,
under section 60(1) of the Act, of a water extraction licence to take
water from a bore if the beneficial use under the licence is
petroleum activity that includes hydraulic fracturing.
(2) The fee is $3 000 (exclusive of GST) for each year, or part of a
year, of the period of the licence.
Example for subregulation (2)
A water extraction licence granted for a period of 3 years has a fee of $9 000.
(3) The fee is payable by the holder of the licence in annual
instalments (equal to the amount of the annual fee) on:
(a) the date the licence is granted or issued; and
(b) each subsequent anniversary of the grant or issue of the
licence.
Example for subregulation (3)
If the period is 3 years and the fee is $9 000, the annual instalment is $3 000.
Part 3 Permits and licences
Division 2 Drilling Licences and Qualifications
Water Regulations 1992 5
(4) If the licence is transferred under section 92 of the Act or amended
or modified under section 93(1) of the Act and a new licence is
issued to replace it, the holder of the new licence is to be credited
any amount of the fee already paid under the previous licence in
relation to any overlapping period of the new licence.
Example for subregulation (4)
A licence is granted for the period from 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2025. It is
amended and a new licence is issued to replace it on 1 December 2024. The
licence holder will be credited the amount already paid for the overlapping period
from 1 December 2024 to 30 June 2025.
9A Waste discharge licence
(1) An application under section 74(1) of the Act for a licence to carry
out an action otherwise prohibited by section 73 of the Act (a waste
discharge licence) must be in accordance with the approved form.
(2) A waste discharge licence must be in the approved form.
Division 2 Drilling Licences and Qualifications
10 Drilling licence
(1) An application under section 49(1) of the Act for a drilling licence
must be in accordance with the approved form.
(2) The kinds of drilling licences the Controller may grant are as
follows:
(a) Drilling Licence Class 1;
(b) Drilling Licence Class 2;
(c) Drilling Licence Class 3.
(3) A drilling licence must be in the approved form.
11 Section 53 – prescribed information and samples
(1) This regulation prescribes the information and samples the
Controller may require the holder of a drilling licence (the licensee)
to provide under section 53 of the Act in connection with work
carried out on a bore under the licence.
(2) The prescribed information is any of the following:
(a) information about the bore, including:
(i) the name of the bore's owner; and
Part 3 Permits and licences
Division 2 Drilling Licences and Qualifications
Water Regulations 1992 6
(ii) the name of the bore; and
(iii) a sketch and brief description of the bore's location; and
(iv) the bore's final construction status (for example, whether
the bore is capped, equipped, backfilled or abandoned);
(b) information about the work carried out, including:
(i) the dates on which the work started and ended; and
(ii) the contractor and driller carrying out the work and
whether it was carried out under the supervision of the
licensee; and
(iii) the nature of the work, including the method of drilling,
the diameter of the hole drilled, and the casing and
packing used;
(c) information about the strata and water bearing beds found in
the bore;
(d) information necessary for the Controller to ensure the licensee
has complied with the Act.
(3) The prescribed samples are 1 or both of the following:
(a) representative samples of strata, each of approximately
250 grams and including a sample of each change of strata
observed in the bore:
(i) taken from the bore at intervals not exceeding 3 metres;
and
(ii) secured in clean bags, preferably made of plastic, each
at least 10cm x 15cm in size and 0.1mm thick;
(b) a representative sample of at least 1 litre of water:
(i) taken from each water cut encountered during bore
drilling operations; and
(ii) preserved in a clean bottle that is completely filled and
tightly stoppered or sealed.
(4) A bag or bottle in which a sample is kept must be clearly marked to
identify the bore from which, and the depth at which, the sample
was taken.
Part 3 Permits and licences
Division 2 Drilling Licences and Qualifications
Water Regulations 1992 7
(5) To avoid doubt, a requirement to provide information and samples
may be in relation to one or more bores or all bores on which a
licensee has carried out work under the licensee's drilling licence.
12 Functions of Drillers' Qualifications Advisory Committee
The functions of the Drillers' Qualifications Advisory Committee are
to advise the Controller:
(a) in relation to the granting, renewal or variation of drilling
licences; and
(b) in relation to the operation of Part 6, Division 2 of the Act; and
(c) on matters referred to it by the Controller.
13 Membership
(1) The Drillers' Qualifications Advisory Committee consists of
8 members.
(2) At least 4 members must be persons who, in the Minister's opinion,
have skills, knowledge and experience in one or more of the
following areas:
(a) hydrogeology;
(b) groundwater engineering;
(c) planning and conduct of drilling operations.
(3) At least 2 members must be persons who are:
(a) representatives of users of drilling services; and
(b) not employed in the public sector; and
(c) in the Minister's opinion, not involved in the drilling industry.
(4) Before appointing a person to be a member, the Minister must have
regard to the range and level of skills, knowledge and experience
required among the members of the Committee to enable it to
perform its functions.
13A Meetings
(1) The chairperson must convene a meeting of the Drillers'
Qualifications Advisory Committee as directed by the Controller.
Part 3 Permits and licences
Division 2A Licence to take groundwater for exempt activity
Water Regulations 1992 8
(2) At a meeting of the Committee:
(a) the chairperson and 3 other members constitute a quorum;
and
(b) questions arising must be determined by the majority vote of
the members present and voting; and
(c) subject to this regulation, the Committee must determine the
procedure to be followed at or in connection with the meeting.
(3) The Committee must keep records of its meetings.
14 Qualifications
For the purposes of section 49(1)(b) of the Act, the prescribed
qualifications are a pass in such examinations set or nominated by
the Drillers' Qualifications Advisory Committee as the Committee
thinks appropriate for the type of work proposed to be carried out
under the Drilling Licence, or such other qualifications and/or
experience as the Committee or the Controller considers to be
equivalent to those qualifications.
Division 2A Licence to take groundwater for exempt activity
14A Licence to take groundwater in former Darwin Rural Water
Control District
For section 71M(1)(b) of the Act, the following circumstances are
prescribed:
(a) the application for the licence to take water relates to land
within the former Darwin Rural Water Control District;
(b) during the 12 month period ending on 5 July 2016, water was
routinely taken from a bore on the land for a commercial
undertaking that was reliant on groundwater on the land;
(c) from 6 July 2016 until the making of the application, water
continued to be routinely taken from a bore on the land for the
commercial undertaking;
(d) the commercial undertaking is not a mining activity or
petroleum activity;
(e) the application is made before 1 August 2025.
Part 3 Permits and licences
Division 2A Licence to take groundwater for exempt activity
Water Regulations 1992 9
14AB Licence to take groundwater in Adelaide River area
(1) For section 71M(1)(b) of the Act, the following circumstances are
prescribed:
(a) the application for the licence to take water relates to land
within the Adelaide River area;
(b) during the 12 month period ending on 30 June 2024, water
was routinely taken from a bore on the land for a commercial
undertaking that was reliant on groundwater on the land;
(c) from 1 July 2024 until the making of the application, water
continued to be routinely taken from a bore on the land for the
commercial undertaking;
(d) the commercial undertaking is not a mining activity or
petroleum activity;
(e) the application is made with 2 years of the commencement of
this regulation.
(2) In this regulation:
Adelaide River area means the part of the Territory declared by
the Minister under section 22 of the Act to be a water control district
and allocated the name "Darwin Rural Adelaide River Water Control
District" on 30 April 2024 and published in Gazette No. S61 of
28 June 2024 but not including the former Darwin Rural Water
Control District.
14B Application requirements
(1) For section 71M(2) of the Act, the following requirements are
prescribed:
(a) the application for the proposed licence sets out the
circumstances prescribed by regulation 14A or 14AB(1) relied
on by the applicant;
(b) the application includes evidence of the circumstances
prescribed by regulation 14A or 14AB(1);
(c) the application includes the total maximum volume of water
required under the proposed licence for each proposed year of
the licence.
Part 3 Permits and licences
Division 2A Licence to take groundwater for exempt activity
Water Regulations 1992 10
(2) Without limiting subregulation (1)(b), the application may include
any of the following as evidence of the circumstances prescribed by
regulation 14A(b) and (c) or 14AB(1)(b) and (c):
(a) for the circumstances prescribed by regulation 14A(b)
and (c) – imagery of the land before and after 6 July 2016 that
is spatially referenced or mapped with geographical
coordinates showing activity on the land that is dependent on
taking groundwater;
(ab) for the circumstances prescribed by regulation 14AB(1)(b)
and (c) – imagery of the land before and after 1 July 2024 that
is spatially referenced or mapped with geographical
coordinates showing activity on the land that is dependent on
taking groundwater;
(b) installation and operation of infrastructure to take groundwater
of a volume sufficient to enable the circumstances prescribed
by regulation 14A(b) and (c) or 14AB(1)(b) and (c);
(c) water extraction records, including records of metered water
extraction;
(d) records of pumping rates and duration for taking groundwater.
14C Application procedure
For section 71M(3) of the Act, the following procedure is prescribed:
(a) if a public sector employee of the Agency returns the
application under regulation 3(5) the public sector employee
must provide reasons for that decision;
(b) the Controller must give a notice of the decision with reasons
on the application within 20 business days after the Controller
makes the decision;
(c) if the Controller grants the licence the Controller must include
the reasons for the decision in a register kept under section 95
of the Act.
Part 3 Permits and licences
Division 2B Licence to take water for mining or petroleum activity
Water Regulations 1992 11
Division 2B Licence to take water for mining or petroleum
activity
14D Licence to take water for mining or petroleum activity
(1) For section 71R(2) of the Act, the following requirements are
prescribed:
(a) the application for the proposed licence sets out the
circumstances mentioned in section 71R(1) of the Act relied
on by the applicant;
(b) the application includes evidence of the circumstances
mentioned in section 71R(1) of the Act;
(c) the application includes the total volume of water required
under the proposed licence for each proposed year of the
licence;
(d) the application includes:
(i) in the case of a mining activity – an environmental
(mining) licence under the Environment Protection
Act 2019; and
(ii) in the case of a petroleum activity – the environment
management plan approved under the Petroleum
Act 1984.
(2) Without limiting subregulation (1)(b), the application may include
any of the following as evidence of the circumstances mentioned in
section 71R(1)(a) and (b) of the Act:
(a) water use or water extraction records, including records of
metered water extraction;
(b) a site water balance report for the site where the mining
activity or petroleum activity is carried out;
(c) records of pumping rates and duration for taking water.
(3) For section 71R(3) of the Act, the following procedure is prescribed:
(a) if a public sector employee of the Agency returns the
application under regulation 3(5) the public sector employee
must provide reasons for that decision;
(b) the Controller must give notice of a decision (including
reasons for the decision) on the application within 20 business
days after the Controller makes the decision;
Part 3 Permits and licences
Division 3 General
Water Regulations 1992 12
(c) if the Controller grants the licence the Controller must include
the reasons for the decision in a register kept under section 95
of the Act.
Division 3 General
15 Renewal of permits and licences
(1) An application for the renewal of a permit or licence must be made
in the approved form.
(2) The application must be lodged before the following:
(a) in the case of a water extraction licence or a licence under
Part 6B of the Act – the 120th business day before the day the
licence expires;
(b) in the case of a waste discharge licence – the 60th business
day before the day the licence expires;
(c) in the case of a permit – the 20th business day before the day
the permit expires.
16 Permits or licences lost or destroyed
If a permit or licence document has been lost or destroyed, the
person responsible for issuing the permit or licence under the Act
(the decision maker) may, on receipt of a statutory declaration as
to the circumstances of the loss or destruction and of any other
evidence the decision maker considers necessary, issue a
duplicate permit or licence which has the word "duplicate" endorsed
on it.
17 Register of licences
For section 95(2)(b) of the Act, the register must contain the
following information for each water extraction licence and licence
under Part 6B of the Act:
(a) the name and address of the holder of the licence;
(b) the date on which the licence is due to expire;
(c) the location of the property from which the water is currently
taken;
(d) the maximum quantity of water that may be taken annually;
(e) the source of the water that may be taken.
Part 3 Permits and licences
Division 3 General
Water Regulations 1992 13
18 Joint interests
(1) A joint application for an approval:
(a) must be in accordance with the approved form for the
application; and
(b) must be made in the name of each joint applicant; and
(c) must include the address of each joint applicant; and
(d) must be signed by each joint applicant unless the applicants
are using an agent in accordance with paragraph (e); and
(e) may be made by an agent on the applicants' behalf if the
agent has written authorisation to do so and lodges the
authorisation with the application.
(2) After considering the application, any objections to the application
and the applicants' replies to those objections, the decision maker:
(a) must determine whether or not to grant an approval to the
applicants jointly and to which applicants to grant the
approval; and
(b) may include special conditions on the approval that the
decision maker considers appropriate.
(3) It is a condition of every joint approval that each joint holder is
jointly and severally:
(a) bound by the terms and conditions; and
(b) liable for any fee or other amount payable; and
(c) bound to comply with all notices and directions given or
served under the Act unless the notice or direction relates to
any thing, measure or work on the land of one or more but not
all of the joint holders.
(4) If, under section 93(1) of the Act, the decision maker, by notice,
amends the terms and conditions of a joint approval, the decision
maker may specify in the notice the manner in which the respective
entitlements of each of the joint holders are amended by the notice.
(5) If, under section 93(2) of the Act, the decision maker, by notice,
revokes or suspends a joint approval, the decision maker may
specify in the notice the manner in which the respective
entitlements of each of the holders are revoked or suspended.
Part 4 Infringement notice offences
Water Regulations 1992 14
(6) If an application, notice or other document is permitted or required
to be served on the joint holders of an approval, service on one joint
holder is taken to be service on every joint holder.
(7) In this regulation:
approval means a licence, permit or other authorisation granted
under the Act.
decision maker, for an approval, means the person who is
responsible for making a decision about the grant, amendment or
revocation of the approval under the Act.
Part 4 Infringement notice offences
19 Infringement notice offence and prescribed amount payable
(1) An infringement notice offence is an offence against a provision
specified in the Schedule.
(2) The prescribed amount for an infringement notice offence is as
follows:
(a) for an offence specified in the Schedule, Part 1 – the amount
payable under section 8 of the Environmental Offences and
Penalties Act 1996 for the specified environmental offence
level of the offence;
(b) for an offence specified in the Schedule, Part 2 – the monetary
value of the number of penalty units specified for the offence.
20 When infringement notice may be given
If an authorised officer believes on reasonable grounds that a
person has committed an infringement notice offence, the officer
may give a notice (an infringement notice) to the person.
21 Contents of infringement notice
(1) The infringement notice must specify the following:
(a) the name and address of the person, if known;
(b) the date the infringement notice is given to the person;
(c) the date, time and place of the infringement notice offence;
(d) a description of the offence;
(e) the prescribed amount payable for the offence;
Part 4 Infringement notice offences
Water Regulations 1992 15
(f) the enforcement agency, as defined in the Fines and Penalties
(Recovery) Act 2001, to which the prescribed amount is
payable.
(2) The infringement notice must include a statement to the effect of
the following:
(a) the person may expiate the infringement notice offence and
avoid any further action in relation to the offence by paying the
prescribed amount to the specified enforcement agency within
28 days after the notice is given;
(b) the person may elect under section 21 of the Fines and
Penalties (Recovery) Act 2001 to have the matter dealt with by
a court instead of under that Act by completing a statement of
election and giving it to the specified enforcement agency;
(c) if the person does nothing in response to the notice,
enforcement action may be taken under the Fines and
Penalties (Recovery) Act 2001, including (but not limited to)
action for the following:
(i) suspending the person's licence to drive;
(ii) seizing personal property of the person;
(iii) deducting an amount from the person's wages or salary;
(iv) registering a statutory charge on land owned by the
person;
(v) making a community work order for the person and
imprisonment of the person if the person breaches the
order.
(3) Also, the infringement notice must include an appropriate form for
making the statement of election mentioned in subregulation (2)(b).
22 Electronic payment and payment by cheque
(1) If the person uses electronic means to pay the prescribed amount,
payment is not effected until the amount is credited to the Fines
Recovery Unit's bank account.
(2) If the person tenders a cheque in payment of the prescribed
amount, payment is not effected unless the cheque is cleared on
first presentation.
Part 5 Transitional matters for Water Legislation Miscellaneous Amendments Act
2019
Water Regulations 1992 16
23 Withdrawal of infringement notice
(1) The Controller may withdraw the infringement notice by written
notice given to the person.
(2) The notice must be given:
(a) within 28 days after the infringement notice is given to the
person; and
(b) before payment of the prescribed amount.
24 Application of Part
(1) This Part does not prejudice or affect the start or continuation of
proceedings for an infringement notice offence for which an
infringement notice has been given unless the offence is expiated.
(2) Also, this Part does not:
(a) require an infringement notice to be given; or
(b) affect the liability of a person to be prosecuted in a court for an
offence for which an infringement notice has not been given;
or
(c) prevent more than one infringement notice for the same
offence being given to a person.
(3) If more than one infringement notice for the same offence has been
given to a person, the person may expiate the offence by paying
the prescribed amount in accordance with any of the notices.
Part 5 Transitional matters for Water Legislation
Miscellaneous Amendments Act 2019
25 Application of regulation 15
(1) Regulation 15, as in force immediately before the commencement,
continues to apply in relation to an application to renew a water
extraction licence that is due to expire on a date that is earlier than
9 months after the commencement.
(2) In this section:
commencement means the day on which the Water Legislation
Miscellaneous Amendments Act 2019 commences.
Schedule Infringement notice offences, environmental offence levels and prescribed
amounts
Water Regulations 1992 17
Schedule Infringement notice offences, environmental
offence levels and prescribed amounts
regulation 19
Part 1
Provision Environmental offence level
Water Act 1992
section 16(2D) 3
section 16(2F) 4
section 76 3
Part 2
Provision Prescribed amount in penalty units
for individual for body corporate
Water Act 1992
section 25(1) 2 Not applicable
sections 37(1), 40(1), 42(1), 44(1),
46(1) and 48(1)
5 10
section 50(1) 5
section 55(2) 2 5
sections 56(1), 58(1), 59(1), 61(1),
66(1) and 68(1)
5 10
section 71(1) 2 5
section 71L(1) 5 10
section 79(3) 2 5
section 81(1) 1 3
section 96(3) 2 5
ENDNOTES
Water Regulations 1992 18
ENDNOTES
1 KEY Key to abbreviations
amd = amended od = order
app = appendix om = omitted
bl = by-law pt = Part
ch = Chapter r = regulation/rule
cl = clause rem = remainder
div = Division renum = renumbered
exp = expires/expired rep = repealed
f = forms s = section
Gaz = Gazette sch = Schedule
hdg = heading sdiv = Subdivision
ins = inserted SL = Subordinate Legislation
lt = long title sub = substituted
nc = not commenced
2 LIST OF LEGISLATION
Water Regulations (SL No. 28, 1992)
Notified 30 June 1992
Commenced 1 July 1992 (r 2, s 2 Water Act 1992 (Act No. 19, 1992) and
Gaz S35, 30 June 1992)
Amendments of Water Regulations (SL No. 23, 1994)
Notified 10 August 1994
Commenced 10 August 1994
Statute Law Revision Act 1999 (Act No. 27, 1999)
Assent date 18 June 1999
Commenced 18 June 1999
Amendment of Water Regulations (SL No. 2, 2002)
Notified 13 February 2002
Commenced 13 February 2002
Water Amendment Regulations (SL No. 31, 2008)
Notified 26 November 2008
Commenced 26 November 2008 (r 2, s 2 Water Amendment Act 2007 (Act
No. 33, 2007) and Gaz G47, 26 November 2008, p 6)
Water Legislation Amendment Act 2018 (Act No. 29, 2018)
Assent date 4 December 2018
Commenced 31 December 2018 (Gaz S107, 17 December 2018)
Water Legislation Miscellaneous Amendment Act 2019 (Act No. 26, 2019)
Assent date 2 September 2019
Commenced 25 September 2019 (Gaz G39, 25 September 2019, p 2)
Statute Law Revision Act 2020 (Act No. 26, 2020)
Assent date 19 November 2020
Commenced 20 November 2020 (s 2)
ENDNOTES
Water Regulations 1992 19
Statute Law Amendment (Territory Economic Reconstruction) Act 2021 (Act No. 19,
2021)
Assent date 31 August 2021
Commenced pt 6: 2 October 2021; rem: 29 September 2021 (Gaz G39,
29 September 2021, p 1)
Water Amendment Regulations 2022 (SL No. 25, 2022)
Notified 20 December 2022
Commenced 1 January 2023 (r 2)
Statute Law Revision Act 2023 (Act No. 4, 2023)
Assent date 2 March 2023
Commenced 3 March 2023 (s 2)
Water Legislation Amendment Act 2023 (Act No. 13, 2023)
Assent date 31 May 2023
Commenced 1 August 2023 (Gaz G14, 6 July 2023, p 1)
Environment Protection Legislation Amendment Act 2023 (Act No. 34, 2023)
Assent date 6 December 2023
Commenced pt 1, pt 3, div 1, ss 207 and 219 and pt 5: 7 December 2023
(s 2(1)); pt 3, div 2: 1 March 2024 (s 2(2), s 2 Environment
Protection Legislation Amendment (Chain of Responsibility)
Act 2022 (Act No. 32, 2022) and (Gaz G4, 15 February 2024,
p 1); pt 4: 1 July 2024 (Gaz G4, 15 February 2024, p 2);
rem: 1 March 2024 (Gaz G4, 15 February 2024, p 2)
Parks and Water Legislation Amendment Act 2024 (Act No. 13, 2024)
Assent date 11 June 2024
Commenced pt 3: 2 July 2024 (s 2(2)); rem: 12 June 2024 (s 2(1))
Water Amendment Regulations 2024 (SL No. 22, 2024)
Date made 30 July 2024
Commenced 31 July 2024 (r 2)
Lands, Planning and Environment Legislation Amendment Act 2025 (Act No. 25, 2025)
Assent date 12 September 2025
Commenced pt 6: nc; rem: 13 September 2025 (s 2(1))
3 GENERAL AMENDMENTS
General amendments of a formal nature (which are not referred to in the table
of amendments to this reprint) are made by the Interpretation Legislation
Amendment Act 2018 (Act No. 22 of 2018) to: rr 1 and 21 and sch.
4 LIST OF AMENDMENTS
r 2A ins No. 31, 2008, r 4
amd Act No. 29, 2018, s 47; Act No. 13, 2024, s 75; No. 22, 2024, r 4
r 3 sub No. 31, 2008, r 5
amd Act No. 19, 2021, s 129; Act No. 13, 2024, s 76
pt 2 hdg rep Act No. 13, 2024, s 77
r 4 amd No. 31, 2008, r 11; Act No. 29, 2018, s 48; Act No. 26, 2020, s 3; Act
No. 4, 2023, s 23
rep Act No. 13, 2024, s 77
ENDNOTES
Water Regulations 1992 20
pt 3
div 1 hdg sub No. 31, 2008, r 6
r 5 sub No. 31, 2008, r 6
amd Act No. 19, 2021, s 130; Act No. 13, 2024, s 78
r 6 sub No. 31, 2008, r 6
amd Act No. 29, 2018, s 49; Act No. 19, 2021, s 131
r 7 sub No. 31, 2008, r 6
amd Act No. 29, 2018, s 50
r 8 sub No. 31, 2008, r 6
amd Act No. 26, 2020, s 3
r 9 sub No. 31, 2008, r 6
amd Act No. 26, 2019, s 16
r 9AA ins No. 25, 2022, r 4
r 9A ins No. 23, 1994, r 1
sub No. 31, 2008, r 6
amd Act No. 26, 2020, s 3
r 10 sub No. 31, 2008, r 7
amd Act No. 26, 2019, s 12
r 11 sub No. 31, 2008, r 7
amd Act No. 13, 2024, s 79
rr 12 – 13 sub Act No. 26, 2019, s 13
r 13A ins Act No. 26, 2019, s 13
pt 3
div 2A hdg ins Act No. 13, 2023, s 35
r 14A ins Act No. 13, 2023, s 35
sub No. 22, 2024, r 5
r 14AB ins No. 22, 2024, r 5
r 14B ins Act No. 13, 2023, s 35
amd No. 22, 2024, r 6
r 14C ins Act No. 13, 2023, s 35
pt 3
div 2B hdg ins Act No. 13, 2023, s 35
r 14D ins Act No. 13, 2023, s 35
amd Act No. 34, 2023, s 245
r 15 sub No. 31, 2008, r 8
amd Act No. 26, 2019, s 14
sub Act No. 19, 2021, s 132
amd Act No. 25, 2025, s 112
r 16 amd Act No. 26, 2020, s 3; Act No. 13, 2024, s 80
r 17 amd No. 23, 1994, r 2
sub No. 31, 2008, r 9
amd Act No. 19, 2021, s 133
r 18 amd No. 31, 2008, r 11
sub Act No. 29, 2018, s 51
amd Act No. 13, 2024, s 81
pt 4 hdg ins Act No. 29, 2018, s 51
r 19 ins Act No. 29, 2018, s 51
amd Act No. 19, 2021, s 134
rr 20 – 24 ins Act No. 29, 2018, s 51
pt 5 hdg ins Act No. 26, 2019, s 15
r 25 ins Act No. 26, 2019, s 15
sch amd Act No. 27, 1999, s 16; No. 2, 2002
rep No. 31, 2008, r 10
ins Act No. 29, 2018, s 51
sub Act No. 19, 2021, s 135
amd Act No. 13, 2024, s 82