Northern Territory Consolidated Acts

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WATER ACT 1992


TABLE OF PROVISIONS

           Long Title

   PART 1--PRELIMINARY

   1.      Short title  
   2.      Commencement  
   3.      Repeal  
   4.      Interpretation  
   4A.     Meaning of hydraulic fracturing waste  
   4B.     Meaning of eligible land  
   5.      Declarations of waterways  
   6.      Act to bind Crown  
   7.      Application of Act to mining activity or petroleum activity  
   8.      Exercise of certain functions by statutory authorities  
   8A.     Application of Criminal Code  

   PART 2--GENERAL PROVISIONS RELATING TO NATURAL WATER, POLLUTION AND HYDRAULIC FRACTURING WASTE

           Division 1--Rights related to water and waterways

   9.      Crown rights to water  
   10.     Public right to take water for domestic and stock purposes  
   11.     Rights of owners or occupiers of land in contact with waterway to take water for certain purposes  
   12.     Ownership of bed and banks of waterway forming boundary of land  
   13.     Rights of owner or occupier of adjacent land over banks of boundary waterway  
   14.     Right of owners of overlying land to take groundwater for certain purposes  
   14A.    Restricted Water Extraction Area declaration  
   14B.    Effect of Restricted Water Extraction Area declaration  
   14C.    Requirements for subdivision or consolidation in Restricted Water Extraction Area  
   14D.    Bores in Restricted Water Extraction Area  
   14E.    Effect of revocation of Restricted Water Extraction Area declaration  
   15.     Rights of owner or occupier to drain land or retain water  

           Division 2--Pollution

   16.     Prohibition of pollution  
   17.     Rights to prevent pollution preserved  

           Division 3--Hydraulic fracturing waste

   17A.    Hydraulic fracturing waste and water  
   17B.    Application of section 17A  
   17C.    Evidentiary matters  

   PART 3--ADMINISTRATION

           Division 1--General administration

   18.     Controller of Water Resources  
   19.     Delegation  
   20.     Power to enter land and take action  
   21.     Authorised officer  
   22.     Water control district  
   22A.    Beneficial uses within water control district  
   22B.    Water allocation plans  
   22C.    Designation of eligible land for Aboriginal water reserve in water allocation plan  
   23.     Water Advisory Committees  

           Division 2--Water Resources Review Panel

   24.     Establishment and constitution of Review Panel  
   25.     Resignation of member  
   26.     Absence of Chairperson or vacancy in office  
   27.     Offence to disclose certain information  
   28.     Disclosure of interest  
   29.     Meetings of Review Panel  

           Division 3--Review of certain actions and decisions

   30.     Application for review  
   31.     Powers of Review Panel  
   32.     Reasons to be given  

           Division 4--Protection from liability

   33.     Protection from liability  

           Division 5--Remediation notices

   33A.    Power to give remediation notice  
   33B.    Requirements for remediation notice  
   33C.    Failure to comply with remediation notice  
   33D.    Power to take action and recover costs  

   PART 4--WATER RESOURCES INVESTIGATION

   34.     Water resources investigation  
   35.     Controller's equipment not fixture or improvement to land  
   36.     Water investigation permits  
   37.     Breach of water investigation permit  
   38.     Notice where private land disturbed  
   39.     Access to confidential information  

   PART 5--SURFACE WATER

           Division 1--Works

   40.     Interfering with waterway without authorisation  
   41.     Grant of permit to interfere with waterway  
   42.     Breach of permit to interfere with waterway  

           Division 2--Taking surface water

   43.     Definition  
   44.     Taking surface water without authorisation  
   45.     Licence to take water  
   45A.    No licence to take water for petroleum activity  
   46.     Breach of licence to take surface water  

   PART 6--GROUNDWATER

           Division 1--General

   47.     Declaration of exemptions  

           Division 2--Drilling licences

   48.     Doing bore work without licence  
   49.     Grant of drilling licence  
   50.     Breach of drilling licence  
   51.     Surrender of licence  
   52.     Obligation to produce drilling licence  
   53.     Power to require drilling information and samples  
   54.     Drillers' Qualifications Advisory Committee  

           Division 3--Bore work permits

   55.     Power to require information about bore  
   56.     Doing bore work without authorisation  
   57.     Grant of bore work permit  
   58.     Breach of permit to do bore work  

           Division 4--Extraction of groundwater

   59.     Taking groundwater without authorisation  
   60.     Grant of licence to take groundwater  
   60A.    Licence to take groundwater for hydraulic fracturing  
   61.     Breach of licence to take groundwater  

           Division 5--Waste disposal

   62.     Prohibition of unlicensed waste disposal  
   63.     Grant of underground waste disposal licence  
   64.     Breach of term or condition of licence  
   65.     Change in use of bore  

           Division 6--Recharge of aquifers

   66.     Recharging aquifer without authorisation  
   67.     Grant of recharge licence  
   68.     Breach of recharge licence  

           Division 7--General

   70.     Power to give directions  
   71.     Contravention of notice  

   PART 6A--WATER EXTRACTION LICENCE DECISIONS

   71A.    Water extraction licence decision and application of Part  
   71B.    Notice of intention to make water extraction licence decision  
   71BA.   Consent required before extraction licence given in respect of Aboriginal water reserve  
   71C.    Making water extraction licence decision  
   71D.    Notice of water extraction licence decision  
   71E.    Notice of substituted or varied water extraction licence decision  

   PART 6B--DEVELOPMENT OF LAND FOR SUBSEQUENT LICENCES

   71F.    Application by developer  
   71G.    Granting licence to developer  
   71H.    Granting subsequent licences  
   71J.    Trading entitlements to water  
   71K.    Transfer of land  
   71L.    Breach of licence  

   PART 6C--REVOKED EXEMPTION LICENCE DECISIONS

           Division 1--Licence to take water for exempt activity

   71M.    Licence to take water for exempt activity  

           Division 2--Mining and petroleum activities

   71N.    Definition  
   71P.    Application of saving provision to mining and petroleum activity  
   71Q.    Termination of unlicensed water access for mining or petroleum activity  
   71R.    Licence to take water for mining or petroleum activity  
   71S.    Water extraction licence to prevail in event of inconsistency  

   PART 7--WATER QUALITY

   72.     Definition  
   73.     Water quality standards  
   74.     Grant of waste discharge licence  
   74A.    Actions may be carried out under Waste Management and Pollution Control Act 1998  
   75.     Further information  
   76.     Breach of terms or conditions of licence  
   77.     Monitoring  

   PART 8--WATER RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT

           Division 1--Preliminary

   78.     Definition  

           Division 2--Development works

   79.     Power to construct works  
   80.     Information and advice  

           Division 3--General

   81.     Use of bore where costs borne by Territory  
   82.     No liability for information or advice  
   83.     Duty to comply with Act and directions  

   PART 9--FEES AND CHARGES

   84.     Power to recover unpaid moneys  

   PART 10--GENERAL PROVISIONS

           Division 1--General

   86.     Interpretation  
   87.     Compensation and liability  
   88.     Powers of Controller  
   89.     Misleading information  

           Division 2--Powers concerning licences and rights of use

   90.     Factors to be considered  
   91.     Agreement with State  
   92.     Transfer of permit or licence  
   93.     Power to amend, modify or revoke licence  
   94.     Power to surrender licence  
   95.     Registers  
   96.     Emergency powers to limit rights to take water  
   97.     Emergency powers to control pollution  

           Division 3--Offences and penalties

   98.     Destruction of works  
   99.     Interference with rights  
   100.    Wasting water  
   101.    Obstruction of authorised officer  

           Division 4--Criminal liability for offences

   102.    Liability of occupier  
   102A.    
   102B.    
   102C.   Criminal liability of executive officer of body corporate – legal burden of proof on defence  
   102D.   Liability of joint approval holder  
   103.    Evidentiary  
   104.    Definition of maximum default penalty  

           Division 5--Legal proceedings

   104A.   Continuing offence  
   105.    Proceedings for offences  
   105A.   Alternative verdicts  
   105B.   Additional orders on finding of guilt  
   105C.   Sentencing matters  

   PART 11--MISCELLANEOUS

   106.    Service of document  
   107.    Just compensation to be paid  
   108.    Regulations  

   PART 12--TRANSITIONAL MATTERS FOR STATUTE LAW REVISION ACT (NO. 2) 1993, WATER AMENDMENT ACT 2003 AND MINERAL TITLES (CONSEQUENTIAL AMENDMENTS) ACT 2010

   109.    Transitional matters for Statute Law Revision Act (No. 2) 1993 , Water Amendment Act 2003 and Mineral Titles (Consequential Amendments) Act 2010  

   PART 13--TRANSITIONAL MATTERS FOR WATER AMENDMENT ACT 2007

   110.    Existing water extraction licence application  

   PART 14--TRANSITIONAL MATTERS FOR WATER AMENDMENT ACT 2010

   111.    Validation for actions before Water Amendment Act 2010  

   PART 15--TRANSITIONAL MATTERS FOR WATER LEGISLATION AMENDMENT ACT 2018

   112.    Definitions  
   113.    Application to mining and petroleum activity  
   114.    Licences, permits and other authorisations  
   115.    Offence provisions – before and after commencement  
   116.    Saving of exemption and declaration  

   PART 16--TRANSITIONAL MATTERS FOR WATER AMENDMENT ACT 2019

   117.    Application of section 60A  

   PART 17--TRANSITIONAL MATTERS FOR WATER LEGISLATION MISCELLANEOUS AMENDMENTS ACT 2019

   118.    Application of sections 71A and 71B  

   PART 18--TRANSITIONAL MATTERS FOR WATER FURTHER AMENDMENT ACT 2019

   119.    Saving of beneficial uses declarations  
   120.    Aboriginal water reserve not to apply to allocations made before commencement  
           SCHEDULE
           ENDNOTES


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