What is a controlled allocation order?
In water sources that are not fully committed, the right to apply for new water access licences can be provided through a controlled allocation order. In fully committed water sources, water access licences can only be obtained through the water market – that is purchasing from existing licence holders.
What is a controlled allocation of access licences?
A controlled allocation provides a right to acquire a water access licence for a specified water source by auction, tender or other means specified in an order published in the NSW Government Gazette.
The process of obtaining an approval so you can take the water is separate to acquiring a water access licence through a controlled allocation. It will incur additional fees and require an impact assessment that may affect how much water you can take and use.
More information on the legal provisions for controlled allocation is available, see section 65 of the Water Management Act 2000.
Controlled Allocation Order (Various Groundwater Sources) 2025
A new controlled allocation order was made on 14 November 2025 under section 65 of the Water Management Act 2000. The NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water is making new water access licences available in 37 groundwater sources across NSW.
View the Controlled Allocation (Various Groundwater Sources) 2025
There are approximately 1 million megalitres of unassigned groundwater in NSW. They are spread across 67 groundwater sources in the coastal and inland parts of NSW.
These water sources vary considerably in size. Some have only small volumes of unassigned water while others have much larger volumes.
There are other groundwater sources in NSW that are fully committed so, consistent with the Strategy for the Controlled Allocation of Groundwater, these groundwater sources were not included in this controlled allocation order.
The controlled allocation order made on 14 November 2025 does not include any water sources that have less than 1,500 megalitres of unassigned water, or where the total water commitments are above 50 per cent of the extraction limit.
This more conservative approach applied to the controlled allocation order enables a portion of the unassigned water to be held in reserve for Aboriginal people. Work is underway to develop mechanisms to enable future access and ownership for Aboriginal people, who currently own less than 1 percent of water in NSW.
Closing the Gap work is being done in partnership with the NSW Aboriginal Land Council and NTSCORP.
Transferring water access licences to Aboriginal legal entities
The NSW Government is committed to increasing access to, and licensed ownership of, water for Aboriginal peoples.
The department is seeking registrations of interest (ROI) from eligible Aboriginal legal entities for general water access licences that have been surrendered to the NSW Minister of Water.
If you are an Aboriginal legal entity and would like to like to learn more about the ROI and find out if you are eligible, please visit the ROI webpage to register your interest.
2025 Controlled Allocation Order - Registration of interest
The registration of interest period is set to open on 19 November 2025. Late applications will not be accepted. You can print the form below and return it to:
Controlled Allocation Officer
NSW DCCEEW Water
6 Stewart Avenue, Newcastle
Locked Bag 1002, Dangar NSW 2309
Submissions via post
- It is recommended to express post or register your post in case your application goes missing. The department will only accept applications that are received.
- Your application will not be accepted unless there is evidence it was sent before the 19 December 2025, 5pm. It is recommended that you either:
- submit your application so that it is received before 19 December 2025, 5pm
- post your application over the counter at a post office instead of by depositing in a post collection box (post placed in post collection boxes may not be stamped or processed till the next day).
or you can apply online below.
| Date | Document name |
|---|---|
| 18 November 2025 | Controlled Allocations Order 2025: Registration of Interest – Application form PRINT ONLY (PDF, 368.75 KB) |
| 18 November 2025 | Controlled Allocation Order 2025: Registration of Interest – Application Guide (PDF, 235.81 KB) |
Registration of interest timeline
-
Stage 1: Registration of Interest OPEN
19 November 2025
- You should read the Terms and Conditions in the Order.
- Refer to the Application Guide for information on how to complete the Application Form.
- Read the FAQs to understand the ROI process
-
Stage 2: Registration of Interest CLOSE
19 December 2025
- Submit the application form by post to the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (NSW DCCEEW).
- It is suggested to Express Post the mail to track your mail.
- Late application forms and posts will not be accepted.
-
Stage 3: ROI Evaluation Period
January 2026 to February 2026 (Round 1)
March 2026 (Round 2, if applicable)- An evaluation panel reviews all ROI applications
-
Stage 4: Notification Period
April 2026 (Round 1)
May 2026 (Round 2, if applicable)- Notification letters are issued:
- If you’re unsuccessful, ROI ends.
- If you’re successful you can either:
- Withdraw your application, ROI ends, or
- Pay the total purchase price to DCCEEW within 30 days from the date you are notified. Followed by applying for a water access licence.
Note: You will receive a water access licence information pack and ROI ends.
- Notification letters are issued:
-
Stage 5: Water access licence application
April 2026 – June 2026 (Round 1)
May 2026 – June 2026 (Round 2, if applicable)- After paying the total purchase price, you’ll have an additional 30 days to submit the new water access licence application form to WaterNSW or DCCEEW L&A.
- Once the licence is approved, you’ll receive instructions for how to submit the certificate of title application.
Note: You will submit the work approval application separately. Consult with the licencing officer about this process.
-
Stage 6: Certificate of title application
April 2026 – August 2026 (Round 1)
May 2026 – September 2026 (Round 2, if applicable)- After the water access licence is approved (WAL assessment and approval can take 90 days or more), you’ll have 6 months to apply for a certificate of title with NSW Land Registry Services.
Note: Water may be credited to our water account when the water entitlement is issued.
Enquiries and notification of future registrations of interest periods
Please send any enquiries or requests to be notified of upcoming registration of interest periods to: water.enquiries@dcceew.nsw.gov.au
Those who ‘request to be notified’ will be sent an email once details of an upcoming registration of interest are publicly released.
Notice of registration of interest periods will also be:
Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions on the Controlled Allocation Order (Various Groundwater Sources) 2024.
Outcomes of controlled allocation orders
This order made water available in 36 groundwater sources across NSW. It made 5% of the unassigned water available in each specified groundwater source through a tender process.
For details of water bought go to Outcomes of Controlled Allocation Order (Various Groundwater Sources) 2024 Report.
Strategy for the controlled allocation of groundwater and new policy settings
The strategy provides a framework for ground-water specific controlled allocations and the way minimum prices were set for that Order.
The 2024 Controlled Allocation Order also included policy settings with an increased conservative approach, excluding any groundwater sources that have less than 1,500 megalitres of unassigned water, and where the total water commitments are above 50% of the extraction limit. The conservative approach enables a portion of the unassigned water to be held in reserve for Aboriginal people.
This order made water available in 54 water sources. It made 5% of the unassigned water available in each specified groundwater source through a tender process.
For details of water bought go to Outcomes of Controlled Allocation Order (Various Groundwater Sources) 2022A Report PDF, 163.28 KB..
Strategy for the controlled allocation of groundwater
The strategy applies to the October 2022 controlled allocation. It provides a framework for groundwater-specific controlled allocations and the way minimum prices were set for that Order.
This order made water available in 55 water sources. It released entitlements that had been surrendered to the department and was the first controlled allocation order to include surface water sources through a tender process.
For details of water bought go to Outcomes of Controlled Allocation Order (Various Water Sources) 2022 Report.
This order made water available in 47 groundwater sources. It made 5% of the unassigned water available in each specified groundwater source through a tender process.
For details of water bought go to Outcomes of Controlled Allocation Order (Various Groundwater Sources) 2021 Report.
This order made water available in 43 groundwater sources. It made 5% of the unassigned water available in each specified groundwater source through a tender process.
For details of water bought go to Outcomes of Controlled Allocation Order (Various Groundwater Sources) 2020 Report.
This amending order was an extension of the 2017 order.
For details of water bought go to Outcomes of Controlled Allocation Order (Various Groundwater Sources) 2017 Report.
This amending order was an extension of the 2017 order.
For details of water bought go to Outcomes of Controlled Allocation Order (Various Groundwater Sources) 2017 Report.
This order made water available in 42 groundwater sources. It made greater than 5% of the unassigned water available in each specified groundwater source over a three-year period through a tender process.
For details of water bought go to Outcomes of Controlled Allocation Order (Various Groundwater Sources) 2017 Report.
This order made water available in 20 groundwater sources. It made 5% of the unassigned water available in each specified groundwater source through a tender process.
For details of water bought go to Outcomes of Controlled Allocation Order (Various Groundwater Sources) (No 1) 2014 Report.
This order made water available in 20 groundwater sources. It made 5% of the unassigned water available in each specified groundwater source through a tender process.
For details of water bought go to Outcomes of Controlled Allocation Order (Various Groundwater Sources) (No 1) 2013 Report.
This order made a small amount of water available in the Great Artesian Basin through an auction process. The water was made available as a result of a small amount of water saved through the Cap and Pipe the Bores Program.
For details of the process and water bought go to NSW Great Artesian Basin: Final report.