Landscape and water levies
Understanding your landscape levy -fact sheet or brochure
Why do we pay levies?
We all benefit from having healthy landscapes and natural resources in our region, which is why all landowners contribute to the levies.
The regional landscape levy and water levy are raised by landscape boards to fund landscape management programs, as outlined in their annual business plans.
The Hills and Fleurieu Landscape Board has prioritised that the levies are spent on water planning and management, pest animal and plant control, biodiversity and sustainable agriculture (for more information see the Business Plan).
The levies enable the board to deliver important programs with the community across the region, and also to leverage significant, additional funding - greatly increasing the amount of work achieved in our region.
The regional landscape levy
The landscape levy (previously known as the NRM levy) is paid by all ratepayers and collected by councils across South Australia.
In the Hills and Fleurieu landscape management region, the regional landscape levy is raised based on the capital value of land. The total amount of income collected from the landscape levy in 2024-2025 will be a Consumer Price Index (CPI) increase (5.9%) on the amount raised last year.
The water levy
The Hills and Fleurieu Landscape Board raises a water levy from licensed water users (except for licensed stock and domestic dams), in the Western Mount Lofty Ranges, Angas Bremer, Eastern Mount Lofty Ranges and McLaren Vale prescribed areas.
For the prescribed water resource areas that are shared by Hills and Fleurieu and neighbouring landscape regions, the water levy is shared between the boards in proportion to the amount of water allocated in each region.
The water levy is based primarily on a rate per megalitre (ML) of water allocated, and there is also a minimum charge in some prescribed resources.
2022-23 water levy rates
Prescribed Water Resource Area (PWRA)/Prescribed Wells Area (PWA) and allocation type | 2022-23 levy rate | Proportion of the PWRA’s allocated water within Hills & Fleurieu |
Angas Bremer PWA water taking allocation | $6.99 ML of water allocated or a levy of $200, whichever is greater | 100% |
Eastern Mt Lofty Ranges PWRA water taking allocation | $6.99 ML of water allocated or a levy of $200, whichever is greater | 98% |
Eastern Mount Lofty Ranges PWRA water taking Lower Angas Bremer allocation (Flood) | $1.67 / ML | 100% |
McLaren Vale PWA water taking allocation | $6.50 /ML | 96% |
Western Mount Lofty Ranges PWRA water taking allocation (including water levy on organisations authorised under section 105 to take water) | $6.50/ML | 93% |
Western Mount Lofty Ranges PWRA public water supply – SA Water fixed charge | $1,300,067 | 100% |