Forms, fees and assessment timeframes

An application is required for new licences and approvals, and to amend, extend or surrender an existing licence or approval.

All application forms are listed below with links to the form or relevant webpage.

Some applications are paper forms and some are digital, lodged online on the NSW Planning Portal and the Customer Portal.

See information about application fees.

• Fees are charged to cover the cost of assessing applications for water licence and approvals.
• Application fees are non-refundable for change of mind or where an application is not granted.
• Additional fees may be payable if the application requires advertising and/or technical referrals.
• Technical referral means an application that the department refers to specialists for technical advice as part of the assessment and determination process, for example, a groundwater assessment by the department’s hydrologists.
• There are no discounts or surcharges for these fees.
• All application fees are GST free.
• Fees have been determined by the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) for the Water Administration Ministerial Corporation in accordance with regulatory processes*. The current fees came into effect on 1 July 2022. The department is charging these fees via an instrument of delegation. 
• Find more information about how fees and charges are determined for water management services in NSW at: Fees and charges

^{*Part 5, Schedule 20, Table 5.1 of the IPART’s Final Determination, Water Administration Ministerial Corporation - Maximum prices for water management service from 1 October 2025 [ISBN 978-1-76049-847-4].}

Once your application is accepted, an officer from the department will call you to take payment by credit/debit card.

Do not write your card details on your application form or any other correspondence you send to us. This could create a security risk if an unintended recipient intercepts your correspondence.

Find out how long it may take to process your water licence or approval application.

We are committed to providing excellent service by:

• meeting or exceeding the timeframes set to process applications
• prioritising urgent and overdue matters
• providing transparent and up-to-date communication with customers.

It may take us longer to process your application if:

• there is a delay in payment of application fees
• your application is incomplete, or the wrong form was used
• additional information has been requested by other agencies
• you have amended a proposal or design after lodgement
• a statutory referral to other agencies is required
• advertising, technical referral and resolution of submissions
• we have a high workload.

To assist the process:

• use all the available resources (guides, fact sheets, e-tools) to help you complete an application
• provide the required information and supporting documents with your application or enquiry
• check the application form is completed and signed correctly, noting:
  • for companies, that is two directors or a director and a company secretary
  • Councils, other government departments and state-owned corporations require a duly authorised officer, which can be a single signature

Incomplete applications will not be accepted; they will be returned to you to re-submit.

If we have not responded to your application within the proposed timeframes, please contact us for an update at: water.enquiries@dcceew.nsw.gov.au