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Bores can be used to access groundwater - you must obtain a bore construction licence.
If you wish to use the water for purposes other than for domestic and stock, a groundwater take and use licence.
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.
Using groundwater
The Water Act 1989 requires that anyone who wants to extract groundwater (except for domestic and stock purposes) must apply for a groundwater licence to take and use.
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 is used for research and other informative measures, to improve the access and management of groundwater.
DEECA 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 DEECA in accordance with the Water Act 1989.
The relevant SOBN Access Authority information outlined in the act can be found in the State Observation Bore Network – Access Authority document.
State Observation Bore Network – Access Authority
Page last updated: 10/10/23