Fees and application forms
Find the forms you need to lodge, amend, surrender, or extend your water-related licences or approvals.
There may be a fee associated with filing a form or requesting a service. Refer to the Fees section for more information on applicable fees.
Fees*
Water access licences
| Approval type | Lodgement fee | Additional fee |
|---|---|---|
| Controlled allocation licence | $1,708.86 | - |
| Specific purpose access licence | $2,918.22 (No fee for Aboriginal commercial, Aboriginal community development or Aboriginal cultural purposes. | $2,864.02 is required for technical referral. |
| Zero share licence | $1,303.55 | - |
Water supply work and/or water use approvals
| Approval type | Lodgement fee | Additional fee | |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Water supply work and/or water use approval | Groundwater | $2,197.07 | $391.20 required for advertising $2,864.02 required for technical referral |
| Pump | $2,719.08 | $607.12 required for advertising | |
| Dam | $2,690.55 | $701.55 required for advertising | |
| New Water Act 1912 approval | $151 non-artesian bore $48 artesian bore | $2,052.55 required for technical referral | |
| New bore for domestic and stock right (BLR bores) | $938.83 | $151.31 required for technical referral | |
| Amend a water supply work and/or water use approval | $1,684.55 add/change works, use or condition $200.12 administrative amendment | $2,864.02 required for technical referral | |
| Inactivate a water supply work and/or water use approval | $200.12 | ||
| Extend a water supply work and/or water use approval | $398.61 before expiry; $736.68 after expiry | ||
Controlled activity approvals
| Approval type | Lodgement fee | Additional fee | |
|---|---|---|---|
| New approval Part 4 | Assessment time less than 4 hours | $969 | - |
| Assessment time more than 4 hours | $969 | $477 plus $156 per hour above 7hrs assessment time | |
| Security deposit or bank guarantee required | $969 | $953 plus $156 per hour above 7hrs assessment time | |
| New approval Part 5 | $484 | $156 per hour above 3hrs assessment time | |
| Amended approval Part 4 or 5 | $484 | $156 per hour above 3hrs assessment time | |
| Extension approval Part 4 or 5 | $484 | - | |
| Surrender CAA Part 4 or 5 | - | - | |
| Security bond release | $474 | $156 per hour inspection fee where works are non-compliant | |
Flood works approvals
| Approval type | Lodgement fee - no advertising required | Additional fee - advertising required |
|---|---|---|
| New approval | $1,228.24 | $916.96 |
| Amend an approval | $1,228.24 | $916.96 |
| Extend an approval | $253.52 before expiry $422.53 after expiry | $253.52 before expiry $422.53 after expiry |
Lodge an application
Water access licences
Water supply work approvals
- Lodge a new water supply work and/or water use application
- Amend a water supply work and/or water use approval
- Extend a water supply work and/or water use approval
- Inactivate a water supply work and/or water use approval
- Lodge a new Water Act 1912 Licence application
- Lodge a new bore for domestic and stock right (i.e. BLR bore) application
Controlled activity approval
Controlled activity approval applications (CAA) have now moved to the NSW Planning Portal. You can now complete a variety of applications using the Planning Portal. These include:
- Lodge a new controlled activity approval
- Amend an existing controlled activity approval
- Extend an existing controlled activity approval
- Surrender an existing controlled activity approval
- Request a security bond release
How to pay for your application
After we have accepted your application form, an officer from the department will call you to finalise your payment. You can pay the application fee by credit card or direct deposit.
Bank details for direct deposit will be provided via email or, if you are paying by credit card, the details will be taken over the phone.
Do not write your credit 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.
Refunds
Application fees are non-refundable for change of mind or where an application is not granted or refused.
*Fees and charges
* Fees and charges for the department’s water consent transactions are consistent with the charges approved in Schedule 5, Table 12 of IPART’s 2021 Final Determination on Water Administration Ministerial Corporation Maximum Prices for Water Management Services which apply from 1 July 2022.
The charges have been determined by IPART under the regulatory processes used by IPART to determine charges for the Water Administration Ministerial Corporation. These charges came into effect on 1 July 2022.
The fees and charges may be payable in parts as the need for advertising and the need for groundwater assessment will be determined by the department following receipt of the application.
There are no discounts or surcharges for these charges.
These charges are being imposed by the department via an instrument of delegation.
Not sure about what you need?
We've developed the Water Assist tool to help you work out who to talk to and what steps to take to get the licences and approvals you need.