It is illegal to take water from surface water or groundwater without a licence or valid exemption in a proclaimed area.
Licences define how much and when water may be taken and specify any obligations the licence holder must meet when using the water.
During drought periods, restrictions make sure that available water is shared and that any potential damage to the environment, the resource and the user is minimised.
Applications for water licences can be made through our .
You can view maps of the proclaimed groundwater areas and proclaimed surface water areas.
