Applying for a water affecting activity permit
This webpage is designed to assist you with your application for a water affecting activity (WAA) permit with the Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board.
Before you start your application
To assist us in processing your application in a reasonable timeframe, make sure that you follow each step below and supply relevant and accurate information to the landscape board.
Before you start your application, be sure to review the water affecting activities webpage. This resource will help you to understand what activities require a WAA and require a permit. We also recommend you contact the Water Planning and Assessment Officer to discuss your proposal before you begin your application.
By law, the landscape board needs to assess your application against the relevant principles and objectives in the Murraylands and Riverland WAA Control Policy and any relevant water allocation plan. For complex or technical works a report or design from a qualified contractor or engineer may be required to support your application.
Please attach all supporting information, such as schematic drawings, maps and reports from the contractor/engineer to your application. Do not send the original documents as all documentation will be kept on file and will not be returned (i.e. maps, certificate titles, etc.)
Applying for a WAA Permit
Please check that your WAA application is sent to the correct landscape board. For activities related to wells or bores, importing water, use of effluent and/or use of water in the course of carrying on a business in South Australia that exceeds 1ML/ha/year, please contact the Department for Environment and Water. Applications for these activities should be lodged with DEW and not the landscape board.
What must be lodged with a WAA application
1. Payment Applications must be accompanied with the prescribed fee. Refer to the lodgement instructions on the application form:
Water affecting activity permit application form - water storage and other diversion
Water affecting activity permit application form - other works
2. Mandatory Fields Completed All mandatory fields must be completed.
Water affecting activities supporting information
You must provide a site plan and drawing(s) with your application with the following information:
1. Site Plan
- North arrow and approximate scale of no less than 1:500
- The boundaries and divisions of the land and any relevant easements
- The position and dimensions of the proposed WAA and distance to the site boundaries and other features such as trees that might be affected by the work
- Key geographic features such as all watercourses, drainage lines, lakes and wetlands, slope of the land; contours, direction of water flow, floodplain etc.
- Significant features such as houses, sheds, trees and adjoining roads
- Existing dams and bores
- The level of the structure in relation to any street or watercourse
- Where relevant, the location of side entry pits to discharge points (e.g. spillway)
- The location and type of sediment control measures proposed both during the construction phase and following construction
- Native vegetation that will be retained or enhanced and any vegetation proposed to be removed.
2. Detailed Drawing(s)
- All information necessary to describe the size and nature of the proposed works. To assist you in developing your site plan, including details of the location and nature of the proposed works, you may wish to access PlanSA, NatureMaps or Google Maps.
Notes
- When completing the application form, please provide the contractor’s name and contact details.
- If other works are proposed, please provide details and attach the information to the application form (e.g. removal of native vegetation, other construction works related to the WAA).
- Please indicate if you have been granted any other approvals from other state of local government agencies to carry out the proposed activity.
From the following list, please pick the appropriate instructions for the activity you wish to undertake.
Activity 1: The erection, construction, modification, enlargement or removal of a dam, wall or other structure that will collect or divert, or collects or diverts water
Note: A dam with a wall height greater than 3m from the natural surface of the ground and/or dams with the capacity over 5ML (5000 kilolitres) require development approval under the Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act 2016. Please refer to your local council for more information.
Before you lodge your application form for the erection, construction, modification or enlargement of an on-stream dam, we recommend that you contact the landscape board first by phoning the Water Planning and Assessment Officer.
The landscape board can:
- advise you if a low flow bypass (LFB) is required to be installed on the proposed dam.
- provide you with the correct low flow bypass threshold flow rate for the device that should be installed immediately upstream of the proposed dam. This will help your consultant/engineer to determine what type of low flow bypass mechanism should be installed.
- assist with the interpretation of the graph on the LFB fact sheets to determine the minimum return pipe (internal) diameter and slope.
Please provide a site plan and supporting information such as dam designs. If a LFB is required to be installed on the proposed dam, the dam design should show the location of the low flow bypass and diversion pipe. Refer to the LFB factsheets for other design criteria:
Guideline for construction of low flow bypass devices for off-stream diversion - 50:50 flow split
Guideline for construction of low flow bypass devices for off-stream diversion
Guideline for construction of low flow bypass devices for on-stream dams
Other requirements to provide in your application
• If contractors or engineers have been engaged to undertake the works, they should provide a report indicating the suitability of the dam design and site, and the adequacy of the construction approach or approach to the removal of the structure.
• Advice as to where waste material is to be deposited
• The proposed capacity of the dam in kilolitres (kL)
• Details of any existing dams (size, location, etc.)
• If you are applying to enlarge your dam, please specify the current dam capacity in kilolitres (kL) and the proposed enlarged dam capacity.
• Specify the height of your dam wall in metres (m)
• The capacity and dimensions of any structures to be used to collect or divert water
• Location of existing structures near the proposed dam
• You must specify if your dam is on-stream or off-stream. If your dam is on-stream, please indicate the stream order for the drainage line/watercourse within which the dam is proposed to be constructed
• Detailed contour lines should indicate the slope of the property to the watercourse, floodplain or lake
• Details of any drainage lines, watercourse, lakes or wetlands on the site
• Details of erosion control and sediment management to be implemented during and following construction
• Other sources of water available on or to the property (e.g. mains water). You must indicate what the proposed water will be used for and provide detail where applicable:
- Irrigation (specify area in hectares and crop type)
- Stock and domestic (specify the number and type of stock)
- Environmental use (give details)
- Industrial (specify what type of industry)
- Other (give details, e.g. amenity or firefighting).
Activity 2: Drain or discharge water into a watercourse, floodplain or lake
Please provide the following information:
• the source of water proposed to be drained or discharged into a watercourse or lake
• whether the discharge proposed is a single event or ongoing
• the total volume of water to be discharged (kilolitres or megalitres)
• frequency of discharge (day, week, month, years)
• proposed rate of discharge (litres per second)
• planned erosion control and sediment measures (rock chute, rip rap, vegetation, etc.)
• treatment methods will be considered (e.g. detention basin)
Activity 3: Depositing objects or building structures in a watercourse, floodplain or lake
Please provide the following information:
- a description of the proposed work to be carried out (if building or depositing a structure, etc.)
- the purpose of the works and materials to be used
- is any vegetation to be removed? If so, please specify what the vegetation is and the removal methods to be used.
- details of erosion control and sediment management to be implemented during and following construction
Activity 4: Excavation of material and removal of vegetation in a watercourse, floodplain or lake
Note: The removal of vegetation via cutting and swabbing does not require a WAA permit, however separate approval under the Native Vegetation Act 1991 may be required.
Please specify the following:
- the purpose of the works
- what will the proposed activity entail (e.g. rock, soil, sand removal)
- if you are applying to remove any vegetation in a watercourse, floodplain or lake, please specify what the vegetation is and what the removal methods will be used
- details of erosion control and sediment management to be implemented during and following construction
Penalties may apply
Undertaking a water affecting activity without a permit, or in breach of permit conditions, is an offence under the Landscape South Australia Act 2019.
If you are unsure whether the work you propose to do will require a permit, contact the Water Planning and Assessment Officer for advice before conducting any works.
Breaches can result in protection orders or criminal/civil enforcement notices being served by the Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board or the Department for Environment and Water.
Financial penalties or prosecution may also apply.
Note: a permit may not be required if the activity has been authorised under other legislation, for example the Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act 2016, the Environment Protection Act 1993 or the Native Vegetation Act 1991. Please check with the Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board to confirm.