About specific purpose access licences
A specific purpose access licence is a type of water access licence.
You need a water access licence to extract water from rivers, dams or aquifers, with some exceptions.
Water taken under a specific purpose access licence can only be used for the specific purpose for which the licence was granted. It has additional conditions or restrictions such as the location where it can be used. Examples include:
- local water utility and town water supply
- domestic consumption
- Aboriginal cultural or commercial purposes.
Specific purpose access licences are issued in accordance with water sharing plans for catchments in NSW.
These licences cannot be traded and must be surrendered if the original purpose no longer applies.
The department and WaterNSW share responsibility for granting and managing approvals for specific purpose access licences.
The department issues licences and approvals for:
- government agencies – local, state and Australian
- state-owned corporations
- water utilities, water supply authorities and licensed network operators under the Water Industry Competition Act 2006
- mining activities
- irrigation corporations
- public schools and hospitals
- Aboriginal communities and businesses
- state significant development and infrastructure.
WaterNSW issues licences and approvals for all other applicants. Find more information at: WaterNSW.
Find more information about what each agency does at: Water agencies
Not everyone needs a water access licence. To determine if an exemption applies to your activities see: Exemptions for water licences and approvals
Apply for a new specific purpose access licence
A specific purpose access licence is a type of water access licence. You need a water access licence to take water from a water source that is subject to a water sharing plan unless an exemption applies.
A specific purpose access licence specifies the purpose for which water taken under that licence must be used. It has additional conditions or restrictions such as the location where it can be used. Examples include:
- local water utility and town water supply
- domestic consumption
- Aboriginal cultural or commercial purposes.
- check the relevant water sharing plan to see if you are eligible to apply for a specific purpose access licence. On the water sharing plan webpage, use the map to identify the region that applies to your application and then read the relevant Water sharing plans. If you need support to understand the requirements in the Water sharing plans contact us on water.enquiries@dcceew.nsw.gov.au
- review the application form and gather all required supporting documents. The application requires detailed information and supporting documents. A list of mandatory supporting documents is provided below. Read the application form and have the required information before you start your application. A guide to completing the application is available.
- Incomplete applications will not be accepted.
- Print or download the application form
- Complete the application form
- Scan or save the completed application form, ready to email
- Send the completed application form and any supporting documents to the department by email at water.enquiries@dcceew.nsw.gov.au
- Pay the application fee by credit/debit card (see below)
Include in your email:
- subject title: New specific purpose access licence application + location of work/s
- short message stating you are applying for a new specific purpose access licence
- your contact details
- completed and signed application form and any supporting documents (as a PDF file)
- Application form - completed and signed.
- The specific volume of water you are requesting, expressed in megalitres per year (ML/year).
- The calculations for determining the volume of water you are applying for.
- The reason for the volume of water you are applying for.
| Approval type | Application fee | Additional fees (if applicable) |
|---|---|---|
| New specific purpose access licence | $3,094.51 | $3,492.59 for technical referral |
- Fees are charged to cover the cost of assessing applications.
- Once your application has been accepted, an officer from the department will call you to take your payment by credit/debit card.
- Application fees are non-refundable for change of mind or where an application is not granted or refused.
- Find more information at: Application fees
Applications are assessed within 65 working days.
Find more information at: Assessment timeframes
To check the status of an existing application for a specific purpose access licence, if the assessment timeframe has passed, contact water.enquiries@dcceew.nsw.gov.au to request an update.
Apply for a new specific purpose access licence
Surrender a specific purpose access licence
You can surrender a specific purpose access licence when the purpose for which the licence was issued no longer exists.
The process to surrender a specific purpose access licence issued by either the department or WaterNSW involves both agencies. For department customers the steps to surrender a licence are:
- contact the department to request a 'notice to surrender a water access licence' form by email water.enquiries@dcceew.nsw.gov.au
- follow the instructions on this form
- the department will the contact WaterNSW to complete the surrender.
- the department will notify the NSW Land Registry Services to remove the Water access licence from the NSW Water Register.
There is no fee to surrender a specific purpose access licence.
The estimated timeframe to process a request to surrender a specific purpose access licence will be given when the request is lodged.