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Water management

The Northern Territory (NT) Government is responsible for ensuring water resources are sustainably managed.

The water management system is set under the NT Water Act 1992 and the Water Regulations 1992.

The Act sets out the tools to:

  • allocate water to beneficial uses
  • sets aside water for Aboriginal people to access for economic benefit
  • investigate water resources
  • sets standards for water quality
  • regulate activities that could affect water like bore work, work near waterways and discharge into a waterway
  • enforce compliance with licensing and permits.

The video below explains how water is managed in the NT.

National Water Initiative

The NT joined the National Water Initiative (NWI) in 2004.

The NWI sets the framework and principles for sustainable water management.

Read more about the initiative.

Who's involved

Under the Act, the Minister for Environment:

The NT Government (NTG) looks after assessment and monitoring of the Territory's water resources in line with legislation.

It supports the controller by providing evidence-based scientific and regulatory advice for the controller to make informed decisions.

Water advisory committees

Water advisory committees provide advice on the development of water allocation plans and their ongoing implementation under the Water Act 1992.

To find out more, go to the Department of Lands, Planning and Environment website.

Control districts and allocation plans

Water control districts in the NT are areas where:

  • improved management of water resources is needed or
  • there is increased competition for a water resource.

This is to avoid overusing groundwater reserves, river flows or wetlands. Read about water control districts.

Within a water control district, a water allocation plan is declared. The plan describes how much water can be taken from groundwater and surface water resources without harming the resource or environment. Read about water allocation.

Each water control district and allocation plan has declared beneficial water use categories applied. They identify how the community values and uses a water resource and applies when licensing water allocations.

Security

With a growing population, there's a growing need for water - for people, agriculture, industry and the environment.

It's important that water security is future-proofed for Territorians.

To find out how the NT Government and Power and Water Corporation are working to secure water supplies and encourage water saving, go to the Water Security website.

Petroleum (oil and gas) industry

The NT Government manages water use for oil and gas activities in the NT.

To find out more, watch the videos below.

English

Kriol

Management and security