Trading in your state/territory

Queensland

Water resource planning, management and allocation, including water trading, is governed by the Water Act 2000 (Qld) and is administered by the Queensland Department of Environment and Resource Management (DERM).

All permanent water trades undertaken in Queensland must be registered on the Water Allocations Register for the dealing to have effect.

Where approval is required for certain dealings prior to registration on the Water Allocations Register (i.e. changes, subdivisions and amalgamations), the Trade Approval Authority responsible for processing water trades is DERM. The licence operators of the water supply schemes in most cases is SunWater. DERM manages unsupplemented water allocations * accounts. Resource operations licence holders manage supplemented water allocations accounts.

Intrastate Trade

Some water trades require approval from DERM before registration depending on the nature of the dealing. This applies to both supplemented and unsupplemented water.

Trades not requiring approval prior to registration

Leases or transfers of water allocations * do not require approval from DERM prior to registration as they do not affect their registered resource related attributes (e.g. their location or purpose).

To record a transfer or lease, relevant forms should be lodged at a Titles Office for registration on the Water Allocations Register. The lodger will receive a statement confirming registration of the dealing.

There may also be additional registration requirements for these trades, depending on whether the water allocation is for supplemented or unsupplemented supply.

Trades requiring approval prior to registration

Trades affecting the registered resource related attributes of a water allocation *, such as changes, subdivisions and amalgamations, must obtain approval from DERM. DERM will issue a water allocation dealing certificate to allow them to proceed which must be registered on the Water Allocations Register for the dealing to take effect. There may also be additional registration requirements for these trades, depending on whether the water allocation is for supplemented or unsupplemented supply.

To register a transaction, a transfer or lease form should be completed and lodged at a Land Information and Titles Office for registration on the Water Allocations Register. The applicants will receive a statement confirming registration of the dealing.

Interstate Trade

Interstate trade between Queensland and New South Wales will remain limited to specific circumstances until the relevant New South Wales Water Sharing Plan arrangements have been finalised.

Pre-tested trades

DERM also offers customers the ability to undertake a form of pre-application process for self assessment to assist in determining whether certain applications will be approved under the trading rules.

Further details about the water trading process in Queensland are available on DERM's web site  or by clicking the links below.

State/Territory	Water Products	Fees	Access to forms
Queensland	DERM – Types of water trading	DERM – Types of water trading	DERM – Water management forms

* water allocation: the Queensland term for water access entitlement