Water regulation aims to achieve sustainable environmental, economic and social outcomes from the management of water resources, consistent with the Water Management Act 2000. Following recommendations from reviews into water theft, reforms were made to strengthen water regulation, compliance and enforcement – including the establishment of the Natural Resources Access Regulator (NRAR) in 2018. The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water shares responsibility for issuing water access licences and approvals with the state-owned corporation, WaterNSW.

This audit will assess how effectively the relevant agencies are undertaking planning, licensing and regulatory functions to ensure secure, sustainable and transparent water sharing in NSW. This topic may also consider how effectively the department has implemented reforms to enhance water metering technology and rules, and the efficacy of NRAR’s activities to support this program.