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.
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) 2024
A new controlled allocation order was made on 16 October 2024 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 36 groundwater sources across NSW.
View the Controlled Allocation (Various Groundwater Sources) 2024There 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 16 October 2024 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.
Increasing water rights and access to water for Aboriginal people for cultural, economic and social purposes will also be a key objective of the state’s first Aboriginal Water Strategy, which is expected to be launched in 2025.
Registration of interest
The registration of interest period closed on 1 December 2024. Late applications will not be accepted. For more information, see our registration of interest timeline.
Registration of interest timeline
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Stage 1: Registration of Interest OPEN
1 November 2024
- 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
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Stage 2: Registration of Interest CLOSED
1 December 2024
- 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.
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Stage 3: ROI Evaluation Period
December 2024 to January 2025 (Round 1)
February 2025 (Round 2, if applicable)- An evaluation panel reviews all RoI applications
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Stage 4: Notification Period
February 2025 (Round 1)
April 2025 (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.
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Stage 5: Water access licence application
February 2025 – April 2025 (Round 1)
April 2025 – June 2025 (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.
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Stage 6: Certificate of title application
February 2025 – August 2025 (Round 1)
March 2024 – September 2025 (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@dpie.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
2022A Controlled allocation orderÂ
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.
2022 (March) Controlled allocation order (Various water sources)
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.
2021 Controlled allocation order
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.
2020 Controlled allocation order
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.
2019 Controlled allocation amendment order
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.
2018 Controlled allocation amendment order
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.
2017 Controlled allocation order
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.
2014 Controlled allocation order
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.
2013 Controlled allocation order
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.
2009 Controlled allocation order
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.