Targeted changes made to the NT Water Act

Targeted reforms to the Water Act have come into force to improve water resource management in the Territory.

Through the Parks and Water Legislation Amendment Bill 2024:

• The role of the Controller of Water Resources (Controller) and the Minister will be more clearly separated, supporting independence of the Controller.
• Compliance and enforcement tools will be modernised and strengthened, ensuring the Act can be enforced.
• Northern Territory Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NTCAT) will become responsible for reviewing water decisions instead of the Minister, improving efficiency and consistency.
• Arrangements for transitioning into a water-licensing framework are made clear.

These changes continue a program of incremental improvement to the Water Act, which has been underway since 2017.

You can read more about these amendments in our information paper PDF (568.0 KB).

Through the Territory Water Plan, the NT Government has committed to a holistic review of water resource laws.

Work is underway, you can find out more on the New water resource laws.