Water licensing fees
Landscape water levy
A Landscape Water Levy is payable by holders of water licences and water access entitlement shares, where applicable, under Section 76 of the Act. Levies are invoiced in July each year.
The levy is based on the water allocation or number of shares that are held on 1 July each year. In some areas a minimum charge has also been declared.
Levy rates are published in the South Australian Government Gazette prior to the commencement of each new water year, usually towards the end of June. View the 2025 Gazette notice regarding water levies for the 2025-26 water year (pages 1989-1994).
2025-2026 application fees
Fees for standard applications for water licences, water access entitlement transfers, water allocation transfers, water resource works approvals, site use approvals and notations of interest are:
| 1 | Application for a water licence | $294.00 |
| 2 | Application to transfer a water licence | $545.00 plus a technical assessment fee of $366.00 |
| 3 | Application to transfer a water allocation or a quantity of water which is taken to constitute a water access entitlement, other than in relation to an unbundled prescribed water resource | $545.00 plus a technical assessment fee of $366.00 |
| 4 | In relation to an unbundled prescribed water resource— | |
| (a) application to transfer a water access entitlement | $545.00 | |
| (b) application to vary a water allocation | $321.00 | |
| (c) application to transfer a water allocation | $321.00 | |
| (d) application for a water resource works approval | $545.00 | |
| (e) application to vary a water resource works approval | $545.00 | |
| (f) application for a site use approval | $545.00 plus a technical assessment fee of $366.00 | |
| (g) application to vary a site use approval | $545.00 plus a technical assessment fee of $366.00 | |
| 5 | Application to vary a licence for any other reason | $545.00 plus a technical assessment fee of $366.00 |
| 6 | Application for registration of a security interest | $92.50 |
Source: Schedule 1 of the Landscape South Australia (Fees) Notice 2025 (pages 1044 - 1047). Also see this link for additional fees in relation to applications for: permits and licences relating to wells; other general permits; tagged interstate water trades, and; forest water licences.
