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Water trading

Water trading is an exchange of a water entitlement between:

  • a buyer (the water licence holder who gets more water) and
  • a seller (the water licence holder whose water entitlement is reduced).

To see completed water trades, view the water trade register.

How water trading works

You can only trade water within a declared water allocation plan area.

Only people with a water licence can buy water.

Each water allocation plan will have guidelines that apply to water trading.

If you want to trade water, you should read the trade guidelines in the water allocation plan that applies to your licence.

You can find the plan within the water control district.

Processing time

The department will aim to finalise simple trade applications within 2 weeks.

It will take longer to process trades:

  • that are for more than 500ML
  • where one or both of the licences contain special conditions
  • that are in or affect a water allocation plan protection area.

A water trade only takes effect once the water controller has approved the trade.

To understand how an application is assessed, get the trading licensed water entitlements policy PDF (397.2 KB).

How to start water trading

To trade, follow the steps below:

Step 1. Find someone to trade with

To find licence holders to trade water with, view the public register of approved water licences on the water licensing portal.

You can also view the registers from the Water Act Licensing and Permit System website:

Step 2. Negotiate the details

The buyer and seller must negotiate the details of the trade including the:

  • amount of water
  • length of time the water will be traded
  • price for the water (if any).

The department is not involved in negotiations between the buyer and seller.

Step 3. Fill in the application

Fill in the below application.

Application to trade water entitlement PDF (198.6 KB)
Application to trade water entitlement DOCX (75.3 KB)

The buyer and seller must both complete and sign the application.

You should also review the checklist included in the application to ensure you have included all the information and documents.

Step 4. Submit the application

You can submit the application and supporting documents by:

Contact

If you have any questions, contact your local Water Resources office.

Licensing and permits