Water Assist
Not sure where to start with your water licence or approval enquiry?
Water Assist is an easy step-by-step tool to help you find the information and support you need for water licencing and approvals.
About water access licence, water supply work and/or water use approval exemptions
You don’t need to apply for a water access licence, water supply work, or water use approval if an exemption applies.
Water access licence exemptions
Exemptions for landholders
Exemptions for public authorities
- Dust suppression by public authorities
- Environmental work construction on waterfront land
- Essential infrastructure
- Basic human water needs
- Operation of a hydro-electric power station
General exemptions that can apply to any person
- Coastal construction of infrastructure
- Private water industry infrastructure
- Drought relief water carting for domestic consumption and stock watering
- Emergency directions
- Emergency works
- Hydrostatic testing of gas pipelines
- Interchange of water in pumped hydro-electricity generation schemes
- Establishment of sugar cane plantings
- Aquifer interference activities (taking 3 megalitres or less)
More information
- Find more information in the water access licences exemptions fact sheet (PDF, 217.93 KB)
- Find an explanation of excluded work relating to the construction and use of a dam in the interpreting excluded works dams fact sheet (PDF, 185.05 KB)
- Find more information about taking water for firefighting and related activities in the Water for fire preparedness fact sheet and webpage, including frequently asked questions.
- For a full description of these exemptions, including the circumstances when the exemption applies and any restrictions or limitations see the Water Management (General) Regulation 2025
Water supply work and/or water use approval exemptions
Exemptions for construction and use of a water supply work
- Landholders with dams for specific purposes
- Landholders with dams or excavations on a river or lake
- Landholders with works that impound water exceeding harvestable rights
- Landholders with works in lakes that are mainly dry (Western Division)
- Landholders with works on perennial or intermittent lakes or land subject to flooding/inundation (Western Division)
- Emergency directions
- Emergency works
- Exempt monitoring bores
- Prospecting or fossicking for minerals or petroleum
- Basic human water needs.
Exemptions for the construction of water supply works (but not its use)
- Prospecting or fossicking for minerals or petroleum
- Water pipe to convey water from one place to another
- Water reticulation work constructed on land that has a water use approval.
Exemptions for the use of water supply works (but not its construction)
- Prospecting or fossicking for minerals or petroleum
- Works to convey or impound water that were in use before 1 July 2004
- Water reticulation works to convey water to land
- Works used in connection with a hydro-electric power station
- Landholders with a mobile water tank or pump for firefighting
- Landholders with tailwater drains
- Water tankers used to convey water for dust suppression by a public authority.
More information
- Find more information on the water supply work approval exemptions fact sheet (PDF, 229.75 KB) and the water use approval exemptions fact sheet (PDF, 190.95 KB)
- Find an explanation of excluded work relating to the construction and use of a dam in the interpreting excluded works dams fact sheet (PDF, 185.05 KB)