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  4. Transfer & Carryover of Water Allocations

Licence holders who need support with either transfers of water allocation or their carryover of water allocation can call their regional Water Licensing office on:

 

Adelaide (08) 8463 6876 or DEWWaterLicensing@sa.gov.au

Berri (08) 8595 2053 or DEW.Waterlicensingberri@sa.gov.au

Mount Gambier (08) 8735 1134 or DEW.LCWaterLicensing@sa.gov.au.

 

For further information regarding these matters, please contact Ms Christine Fiebig, Manager, Customer Service and Regional Delivery, within the department, on telephone (08) 8595 2249 or email: christine.fiebig@sa.gov.au.

Transfer of water allocations

The trade of a water right can mean a transfer of ownership, a change of location, or both.
Trade can also be undertaken on a permanent or temporary (i.e. lease) basis and a person/s may seek to trade all or only part of their water access entitlement or water allocation.


The Department for Environment and Water (the department) approves trade applications provided that:

  • there is a sufficient volume of water available to trade
  • all associated fees, charges and debts have been paid
  • the trade meets relevant trading rules and water allocation plan principles.

Trading rules and water allocation plan principles aim to ensure that water trade does not result in detrimental impacts to the environment, the water resource or other water users.
Trade may occur by submitting a transfer application to the department as the approval authority, accompanied by the transfer fee, which is specified on the transfer application.

Further information and all water licence and permit application forms, including forms that facilitate water trade are available for download. A broker may also be able to assist with trade and transfer processes.

 

 

Carryover of water allocation

If a water licence holder has not used all of their water allocation during a financial year which reflects a water year, they may be eligible for a portion of this unused allocation to be added to their water allocation (carry over) for use over the next one to two financial years (1 July – 30 June). Eligibility for carryover is subject to the rules of the relevant water allocation plan and the individual’s condition of their water licence.

For those water licence holders eligible for water allocation carryover, rollover or recharge in 2024/25, the transition to mywater has delayed the calculations of these allocations available from previous years. Acknowledging the current dry conditions across the state and the concern that this may cause some water licence holders, the department is currently working to finalise those calculations as a matter of urgency.

Most eligible water licence holders have now been informed by post/email of their carryover or rollover allocations, including the Limestone Coast region. The remaining, including those with recharge allocations, will be informed as a matter of urgency.