The Department of Water and Environmental Regulation is seeking public comment on the Draft Guideline: Spring Exemptions under Part III section 5(1)(a) of the Rights in Water and Irrigation Act (RIWI)1914.
This guideline provides information for landowners or occupiers of land on the requirements for determining whether a spring rising on a property is exempt from regulation under the Act.
The draft spring guideline establishes a voluntary self-assessment process, intended to assist landowners or occupiers of land to determine whether a spring exemption applies on their property.
Most springs and watercourses are located in the South West of the state and there is significant interest from stakeholders within the Warren Donnelly water management area regarding the spring exemption. DWER has worked with the Warren Donnelly Water Advisory Committee in the development of the draft guideline.
The public consultation period has been extended to run to 31 May 2022.
Once stakeholder and community feedback has been received and considered, the department proposes to finalise the guideline and release it to support decision-making by landowners or occupiers of land in relation to spring exemptions.
To provide feedback visit https://consult.dwer.wa.gov.au/water-policy/draft-guideline-spring-exemptions/
