ntg-mono

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 it works

In the NT, only water licence holders can buy or sell their water entitlement.

Licence holders can choose to trade some or all of it.

If you are in a water allocation plan area, the plan may include extra rules about water trading in the area.

How to start

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:

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).

Contact

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

Licensing and permits