From the start of 2011 all new household dams in rural-urban fringe areas in Victoria will need to be registered with rural water corporations.

The regulations came into effect on 1 January 2011. They require property owners in rural residential areas to register with their rural water corporation any new aesthetic dam, domestic and stock dam, or plans to significantly alter existing dams before commencing any works.

However, while property owners are encouraged to register their dams, the Minister for Water Peter Walsh announced a two month period of grace until 1 March 2011 before the water corporations put formal registration programs in place.

A rural residential area is any property located within the rural living zone, green wedge zones and any residential zone as defined by Victoria’s Planning Schemes, or any property that is eight hectares (20 acres) or smaller.

You can check with your local council if your property is in a rural residential zone.  Property owners can also find out what zone they live in by visiting Planning Maps Online.

People with existing dams in rural residential areas will not need to register them unless they want to significantly enlarge them.

Property owners who live outside a rural residential area (with a property size greater than eight hectares) do not need to register their domestic and stock dams.

If you require a surface water licence (take and use) or a dam construction licence then you do not need to also register your dam. Your licence application form is sufficient for the purpose of the regulation.

Do I need to register or license my dam?

If you are unsure whether you need to register your dam or actually require a licence you can:

• refer to this document: Flowchart- If you want to build a new dam or alter an existing dam (PDF~66kbB)
• refer to Questions and Answers (PDF~290kB)
• refer to the accessible version of the Questions and Answers (DOC~1.0MB)
  
• contact your local rural water corporation
  
• contact the DSE Customer Service Centre on 136 186.
  

How do I register?

To register your new aesthetic or domestic and stock dam, or alterations to your existing dam, contact your local rural water corporation:

• Southern Rural Water - 1300 139 510
• Melbourne Water - 131 722
• Goulburn-Murray Water - 03 5833 5500
• Grampians Wimmera Mallee Water - 1300 659 961
• Lower Murray Water - 03 50501 3400

To contact the Department of Sustainability and Environment, call the Customer Service Centre on 136 186.