New South Wales regulations have been changed to help farmers fight fires on their own property without worrying about if they can access water
The NSW government is reducing official rules that have in practice hindered farmers’ ability fight fires on their own property.
During a fire emergency, landholders will now be able to take water from surface water and groundwater sources on their land, without needing to have a water licence and water use approval.
This includes streams, creeks and rivers abutting the boundary.
The state government says this common-sense exemption has been made via amendments to the Water Management (General) Regulation 2018.
Water can be used by landholders on their property and adjacent land to fight fires, while it can also be used for training and controlled burning when it is carried out by or under the authority of a firefighting agency such as the NSW Rural Fire Service, and for the testing and maintenance of firefighting equipment.
Landholders who wish to prepare for the threat of bushfires can now also lawfully take water and store it in a tank or dam for future firefighting purposes.
The maximum volume for each property is 100,000 litres (0.1 ML) per year.
“When it comes to emergencies, landholders can play an important role in bushfire response, and this change further empowers them to act when their properties are under threat,” emergency services minister Jihad Dib says.
Acting water minister Jodie Harrison says no-one should need to stop and think if they are allowed to access water to keep themselves and their property safe from fire.
“This is a common-sense decision, and it is great to see these amendments now in place,” Harrison says.
“When fire threatens life and property, landholders need fast and easy access to water to protect their properties and themselves.”
The NSW government will carry out targeted periodic surveys of landholders to understand how the exemption is being used and to identify the extent and scale of water use.
While landholders are not required to submit reports, they are encouraged to log the volume of water they take under the exemption, for their own records.
For more information on the exemptions, visit https://water.dpie.nsw.gov.au/our-work/allocations-availability/drought-and-floods/water-for-bushfire-preparedness-and-firefighting