NSW Water Access Licence for Commercial Bore Users — What You Need Before You Extract
Extracting groundwater commercially in NSW requires two approvals. One covers your right to the water. The other covers the bore itself. Without both, extraction is an offence under the Water Management Act 2000. This applies to vineyards, farms, golf courses, mining operations, and industrial sites, no exceptions for commercial use.
The Three Approvals You Need
1- Water Access Licence (WAL)
A WAL gives you the right to extract a defined share of water from a specific groundwater source.
WaterNSW administers it. The licence specifies the water source, your volume share, and the approved purpose, irrigation, industrial, mining, or similar.
A WAL is a legal title. It sits separately from your land. You can transfer it, trade it, or use it as security.
New WAL application fee: $887.05 (2025).
2- Water Supply Work Approval
This covers the physical bore, drilling, casing, and pump installation.
You cannot drill, deepen, or alter a bore without this approval in place. Bore construction must be carried out by a licensed driller. After drilling, the driller files a construction report with WaterNSW, recording bore depth, casing spec, static water level, and aquifer details.
Initial groundwater licence application fee: $151 (2025).
3- Nominated Works Approval (NWA)
Once both approvals are in place, you need an NWA.
This document links your specific bore and pump to your WAL. Without it, you cannot legally extract water through that bore, even with a valid WAL and Work Approval.
Who Must Have a Full Commercial Licence
The Basic Landholder Rights exemption covers domestic and stock use only.
If your bore is used for any of the following, a full WAL is required:
- Irrigated agriculture or horticulture
- Vineyard operations
- Golf course irrigation
- Aquaculture
- Mining and industrial dewatering
- Manufacturing
- Water bottling
The 3ML exemption applies only to non-consumptive dewatering where water returns to the source. It does not apply to commercial water supply.
How to Apply — Four Stages
Stage 1: Check the NSW Water Register
Before applying, search the NSW Water Register.
This confirms available water in your target groundwater source and shows existing allocations under the relevant Water Sharing Plan. Water Sharing Plans cap extraction by valley and source. If the source is already at its limit, your application will not be approved regardless of merit.
Stage 2: Submit Your WAL Application
Apply through the WaterNSW Customer Portal.
Commercial applications take longer than domestic ones. WaterNSW assesses your application against Water Sharing Plan conditions. Some valleys require referral to the NSW Natural Resources Access Regulator (NRAR). Allow several months before planning bore construction.
Stage 3: Work Approval and Bore Construction
Once the WAL is granted, apply for the Work Approval.
Engage a licensed driller. The construction report must be filed with WaterNSW within the specified timeframe after drilling is complete.
Stage 4: NWA and Metering
Obtain the NWA to nominate your bore and pump under the WAL.
For commercial volumes in designated valleys, certified meter installation follows before extraction begins. Full NSW metering requirements are covered in the groundwater extraction licence NSW water metering obligations.
What You Must Do After Approval
Getting both approvals does not end your compliance obligations.
Keep Extraction Records
WAL conditions require extraction records. Where telemetry is mandated, daily totals are transmitted to WaterNSW automatically.
NRAR inspectors check three things during compliance audits: metered extraction against your WAL share, nominated works against installed infrastructure, and records against licence conditions.
Install a Certified Meter
Commercial WAL holders above volume thresholds in designated valleys must install a pattern-approved meter before extraction begins. The meter must be fitted by a NSW-certified installer. Extracting above your licensed share — even unintentionally — is a licence condition breach.
Report Bore Performance Changes
If bore yield declines materially, WaterNSW requires notification. Continuing to extract at your licensed volume from a declining bore without investigation creates a compliance exposure.
Where Bore Testing Connects to Your Licence
Bore testing is not a licensing requirement. But it directly affects two compliance decisions.
Before You Apply for a WAL
A step drawdown pumping test establishes your bore’s sustainable yield before you nominate a volume share. Applying for a WAL share above the bore’s tested yield creates an entitlement that cannot be exercised without exceeding the aquifer’s safe yield — a condition NRAR can act against.
After Extraction Begins
Annual performance testing against original commissioning data confirms you are staying within the aquifer’s capacity. A bore yielding less than its original figures points to bore degradation or aquifer decline. The commercial bore pump installation commissioning data recorded at commissioning is the baseline for every comparison that follows.
Where yield has dropped, and you need to identify the cause before reporting to WaterNSW, the bore rehabilitation step drawdown diagnostic process separates pump wear, screen blockage, and aquifer decline using field data.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does an existing commercial bore need a current WAL?
An existing bore may sit under transitional arrangements, but commercial extraction still requires a current WAL and Work Approval. Check the NSW Water Register to confirm your bore’s status before assuming existing works are covered.
Can a WAL be transferred when selling a property?
Yes. A WAL transfers separately from land through a water access licence dealing on the NSW Water Register. Transfer fee: $922.57 (2025).
What does NRAR check during a compliance inspection?
Metered extraction against your WAL share, nominated works against installed infrastructure, and extraction records against licence conditions. Construction reports, NWA documentation, and meter installation certificates are the primary records requested.
What happens if a Water Sharing Plan is already at its extraction limit?
Your WAL application will not be approved. Check the Plan conditions for your target groundwater source before applying.
Wallace Irrigation works with commercial agricultural, mining, and industrial operators across NSW on bore pump installation, bore testing, and certified water meter installation, the infrastructure that follows water access licence approval. Contact James Wallace to confirm what your site requires before construction begins.