Bore work and use

The Northern Territory (NT) has minimum requirements for constructing, maintaining, rehabilitating, and decommissioning water bores.

All are designed to protect groundwater resources and ensure they're used appropriately and efficiently.

This includes the roles and responsibilities of:

• property owners, licensed drillers and drilling companies
• the regulator - Department of Environment, Parks and Water Security.

For more information on the these roles and responsibilities, get the fact sheet PDF (462.3 KB).

Where to put a bore

To work out where potential groundwater is at a bore site, contact Water Resources for information on aquifers in the NT.

You should discuss the location of groundwater with nearby bore owners and a licensed driller.

To view information about specific bores, go to the NT Water data portal or the NR Maps website.

Location

Consider all of the following when working out where to put your bore:

• being close to a power source can save costs
• it can't be placed within a firebreak
• locate any underground services on the property to avoid damage when drilling
• if your property is in a flood prone area, drill the bore on higher ground so you can access it year round.

Drill a bore

Some drilling requires a bore work permit.

All water bore drilling must be done by a licensed driller.

Licensed drillers can give you advice on the location, drilling and construction of the bore.

View a list of NT licensed drillers on the Water Act Licensing and Permit System website.

Find out more about water drilling licences.

Read about the minimum construction requirements for water bores on the Australian Drilling Industry Association website.