Water: Inland management

The Minister may prescribe compulsory national standards relating to the quality of water taken from or discharged into any water services or water resource system (Water Services Act).

A national water resource strategy must among other things state the objectives in respect of water quality to be achieved through the classification system for water resources. Procedures in respect of each class of water resource to satisfy the water quality requirements of water users without significantly altering the natural water quality characteristics of the resource, must be established. Clear goals relating to the quality of the relevant water resources must be established. The quality objectives of the resource may relate to The Reserve, the instream flow, the water level, the presence and concentration of particular substances in water, the characteristics and distribution of aquatic biota, the regulation or prohibition of instream or land-based activities which may effect the quantity of water in or quality of the water resource and any other characteristics (classification of water resources and resource quality objectives) (National Water Act).

A catchment management strategy must not be in conflict with the national water resource strategy and take into account the class of water resources and resource quality objectives.

Licences for water use in respect of a specific resource is compulsory in order to protect water resource quality (compulsory licences; National Water Act).