Take and use licences
A take and use licence is a fixed term entitlement to take and use water from a waterway, catchment dam, spring, soak or aquifer. Each licence is subject to conditions set by the Minister and specified on the licence.
A registration licence is an ongoing entitlement to take and use water from a catchment dam, spring or soak. Registration licences were issued between 1 July 2002 and 30 June 2003 based on historical use of water.
Reports and prices
The Water Register reports on how many take and use licences and registration there are in a water system here and on take and use licence trading prices and statistics.
Policies and information
Take and use licences are issued and managed according to policies as detailed in the document below (revised and approved February 2014).
Download PDF Policies for Managing Take and Use Licences - 2 February 2014 (2300 Kb) Amendments (Geothermal Reinjection Schemes) of Policies for Managing Take and Use Licences (101 Kb)
The issue and trade of groundwater licences is also subject to guidelines as detailed in the document below (revised and approved April 2015).
Take and use licences are issued and managed according to caps on the resource, known as permissible consumptive volumes. The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning has released guidelines on how to determine resource share such as caps in groundwater and unregulated systems as detailed in the document below (approved October 2015).
Download PDF Resource sharing guidance - groundwater and unregulated systems (4564Kb)
Copy of record
You can download a Copy of Record for an existing take and use licence or registration licence here.
You will need to enter the take and use (or registration) licence identification number and pay the relevant $16.30 fee.
Please be aware that a works licence, private right or another take and use licence may be linked to this licence. If so, it will be listed in the "Related Instruments" section on your copy of record. You will need to purchase a separate copy of record for it if you wish to view its details.
Most take and use licences are now stored in the Victorian Water Register. However, older licences that have not been recently renewed or otherwise transacted on may still be kept in a local water corporation system, so the copy of record is not yet available here.
A sample copy of record is available below.
Your responsibilities
Your entitlement and the conditions set out on your licence are included on your copy of record. If you are not sure about your conditions and obligations please contact your water corporation. Offences include
- Taking and using water without authorisation or exceeding your licence volume
- Failing to comply with a contravention notice for using water in a way that does not meet the conditions of your licence
- Tampering with metering equipment.
Penalties may apply and may increase for repeated offences.