New water resource laws

Vision

Contemporary water resource management legislation that supports sustainable water resource management, and builds trust.

Overview

The Northern Territory (NT) Government is developing new legislation to replace the Water Act 1992.

Draft legislation will be ready for the Legislative Assembly by 2026.

Get a printable version of the water legislation reform in the NT PDF (463.8 KB).

Drivers for reform

Priority action 11 under the Territory water plan commits NT Government to delivering contemporary water resource management legislation contributing to sustainability and trust and confidence.

Today’s legislation, the Water Act, provides a sound legislative basis for water resource management.

New legislation will ensure water resource management is:

• fit for the future
• can adapt to climate change and growing competition for water
• meets community expectations with enhanced governance and accountability.

Program for reform

New water legislation will be developed across 4 phases:

• Exploring
  • communicate an approach to reform
  • background research
  • develop a model for reform
• Policy setting
  • publish model for reform
  • develop preliminary policy positions
• Preparing legislation
  • finalise policy positions
  • develop draft legislation
• Passage
  • undertake parliamentary processes to create legislation
  • commence new water legislation.

How you can participate

Territorians will help establish the model for reform and throughout the reform program.

You can participate

• via your representative peak body - peak industry and interest groups will be involved in early, targeted engagement as the model for reform and policy positions are developed
• through Have Your Say - broader public consultation processes like Have Your Say will allow individual voices to be heard as each project phase is resolved.

NT Government advisory groups and agencies will also help refine the model for reform and policy positions as they are developed.

The International Association for Public Participation spectrum will guide engagement activities throughout the reform program.