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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 10 Hansard (25 September) . . Page.. 3445 ..

The Bill will make it an offence to take water from an ACT waterway or from groundwater without a licence. Exceptions will include the taking of water from waterways for domestic purposes, drinking water for stock, domestic gardens on land adjacent to waterways, and for fire control.

Where a licence is required, licence conditions will take account of the physical constraints of catchments, ensure the maintenance of environmental flows, and minimise conflicts between authorised users.

A requirement for licences to take water from waterways will be the possession of a water allocation. A water allocation will be able to be obtained from the Environment Management Authority, if unallocated water is available, or from an existing user. In order to obtain an allocation, it will not be necessary to hold a licence. The holder of an allocation may wish, for example, to sell it. However, for an allocation-holder to use that allocation, he or she will need a licence.

This approach is consistent with the Council of Australian Governments' water reforms being pursued in all states and territories. The separation of water allocations from land title will enable the establishment of a market in water. This will encourage a more efficient use of available water resources and the movement of water to higher value-uses.

It is also necessary to introduce controls over the drilling of groundwater bores in the ACT. Such drilling has the capacity to degrade groundwater resources. Also, drillers are often the major source of information necessary for the sustainable management of groundwater resources. There is a need to ensure the competency and performance of people

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