Policy and law

Northern Territory policy and law

Water Security Framework

The Northern Territory manages its water security to balance healthy ecosystems, water for people to live and thrive and water for economic development.

Water security is underpinned by a framework that spans legislation, policy and multiple Government agencies.

To learn more, get the Water Security Framework PDF (212.1 KB).

Water resource management

The Water Act 1992 is the Territory’s primary tool for managing and protecting water in the NT. It is supported by Water Regulations 1992 and a series of water policies and guidelines.

Sometimes the government makes changes to these rules to make them better and meet the community's expectations. To learn about recent changes, go to the Northern Territory Government website. See also: water policies, guidelines and statements.

Water supply and sewerage

The Water Supply and Sewerage Services Act 2000 establish the rules ensure safe and reliable water supply and sewerage services that are affordable for all Territorians at home and in business.

Affordable supply of water and sewerage services is important for the Territory’s economic development, and to support amenity and liveability of our communities.

Customers do not have a choice about who provides their water supply and sewerage services. Service providers are monopoly businesses that do not compete with each other to provide the highest quality and least-cost services to customers. Economic regulation places rules on service providers to ensure they provide customers with safe, reliable and affordable services.

Snapshot of reform directions

The Department of Treasury and Finance is leading the reform program and has developed reform directions in consultation with stakeholders. Across the Territory the reforms will:

• expand the coverage of the economic regulatory framework
• apply consistent, transparent and tiered methodology to determine the form and level of regulation appropriate for service providers and their service areas.

For more information about the reform directions, the roadmap for reform and future consultation opportunities, read the summary and detailed papers.

• Summary paper PDF (1.5 MB)
  Summary paper DOCX (1.1 MB)
• Detailed paper PDF (1.5 MB)
  Detailed paper DOCX (801.8 KB)

Future consultation opportunities

The Territory Government is committed to effective consultation throughout the reform process.

Stakeholders interested in participating in the next round of consultation can email dtf.water@nt.gov.au.

Improving outcomes for customers

The reform directions will ensure customers across the Territory receive the benefits of economic regulation. Customers in similar-sized towns and communities will have comparable levels of customer protections and rights and transparency of service provision.

Customers across the Territory will benefit from improved economic regulation.

Drinking water quality

Drinking water quality is managed under an agreement between the Department of Health, Power Water Corporation and Indigenous Essential Services Pty Ltd. To read their Memorandum of Understanding, go to the Power and Water website. See also the Power and Water drinking water quality policy.

Drinking water quality is generally assessed in accordance with the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines. To learn more, go to the National Health and Medical Research Council website.

National policy and law

National Water Initiative

The National Water Initiative is the agreement between all states and territories and the Commonwealth and provides a national plan for water reform. The Northern Territory Government signed the National Water Initiative in 2004.

To find out more about the national water reform and the National Water Initiative, go to the Australian Government website on Intergovernmental agreements for water reform

Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Water Interests

The Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Water Interests (CAWI) advises the National Water Committee on First Nations water reforms matters. The National Water Committee is made up of state and territory senior government officials.

Mr Tony Jack is the Northern Territory member of CAWI.

To find out more about the CAWI, go to the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water website

Closing the Gap

The National Agreement on Closing the Gap (Agreement) was developed in partnership between Australian Governments and the Coalition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peak Organisations.

The Northern Territory Government along with all other states and territories and the Commonwealth Government signed the agreement in July 2020.

The Northern Territory Government is taking water security related action to support:

• Outcome 9 – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people secure appropriate, affordable housing that is aligned with their priorities and need.
• Outcome 15 – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people maintain a distinctive cultural, spiritual,  physical and economic relationship with their land  and waters.

To read more about how the Northern Territory’s is meeting its obligations under Closing the Gap, go to the Aboriginal Partnerships and Affairs website.

Australian Drinking Water Guidelines

The Australian Drinking Water Guidelines can be referred to as a basis for determining the quality of water to be supplied to water users and provides a framework for good management of drinking water supplies for safety at the point of use.

To ensure that these guidelines include the latest scientific evidence on good quality drinking water, they undergo a rolling revision.

To find out more about the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines, their revision and public consultation on draft guidance, go to the National Health and Medical Research Council’s website.