Constructing a bore
To access groundwater you must obtain a bore construction licence under the Water Act 1989.
Since July 2015, applications for a bore construction licence can now be made online using MyWater. Registered users can also see their accounts and trade allocation.
Using groundwater
The Water Act requires that anyone wishing to extract groundwater (except domestic and stock users) must apply for a groundwater licence.
Groundwater licences are issued to protect the rights of licence holders, ensure that water is shared between users and to ensure that environmental requirements are protected.
To apply for a groundwater licence, please contact the relevant Rural Water Corporation.
State Observation Bore Network (SOBN) Third-Party Access
The primary purpose of the SOBN is to collect groundwater data for observational purposes. This data can be used for research and other informative measures, to improve the access and management of groundwater.
DELWP sometimes receives requests for access to these bores for other reasons including investigation, research and data collection.
Requests for access to SOBN bores are referred to as third-party access requests and include proposed access to bores that are not covered under the current monitoring contract. These third party access requests are considered by DELWP in accordance the Water Act 1989.
The relevant SOBN Access Authority information outlined in the act can be found here:
State Observation Bore Network – Access Authority (DOCX, 19.5 KB)
Request access to SOBN:
Page last updated: 08/01/22