Do agriculture, forestry and fishing businesses need to comply with Water Act 2007 (Cwlth) + state water entitlements?
A computed answer from the Rules Mate applicability engine, with the exact condition, the outcome for every structure and size, and the primary source.
Short answer: Only if
Only if you hold water entitlements or take water. Being in this industry makes the obligation worth checking (Industry: Agriculture, forestry & fishing), but the trigger is a fact the industry alone does not settle.
The obligation in brief
Comply with Water Act 2007 (Cwlth) + state water entitlements. The Water Act 2007 (Cth) is the framework for managing the Murray–Darling Basin, Australia's largest water resource, in the national interest. It required the Murray–Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) to prepare the Basin Plan 2012, which sets sustainable diversion limits on how much surface water and groundwater can be taken, requirements for state water resource plans, an environmental watering plan, a water quality and salinity management plan, and rules on trading water rights.
Trigger: Taking or using water from a Basin water resource, holding or trading a water access right in the Basin, or charging for water services covered by the Water Act's water charge and market rules.
Why agriculture, forestry & fishing get a different answer
Rules Mate runs its applicability engine across 9 business structures and 6 size bands for each of the 35 industries it maps. For 33 of those industries the answer for "Comply with Water Act 2007 (Cwlth) + state water entitlements" is no. Agriculture, forestry & fishing is one of the 2 where the answer is different: only if.
The deciding fact for agriculture, forestry and fishing businesses: Industry: Agriculture, forestry & fishing; applies only if you hold water entitlements or take water.
About the industry: Primary producers covered by the Pastoral Award and biosecurity / chemical use regulation.
Compare a professional services (general) business with 6–19 employees structured as a Pty Ltd company: the obligation does not apply (Requires a trigger outside this questionnaire).
Answer by business structure and size
Each cell is the engine's outcome for a business in agriculture, forestry & fishing with that structure and size, assuming it sells to consumers and small businesses and holds customer contact details. "Check" means the obligation turns on a fact the industry does not settle.
| Structure | No employees | 1–5 employees | 6–19 employees | 20–99 employees | 100–499 employees | 500+ employees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sole trader | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check |
| Partnership | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check |
| Trust | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check |
| Pty Ltd company | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check |
| Public company | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check |
| Not-for-profit (unregistered) | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check |
| Registered charity | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check |
| Super fund | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check |
| Foreign company | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check | Check |
What the obligation requires
- When due
- Continuous: water may be taken only within the entitlement, licence conditions and water resource plan rules in force for the catchment; trades follow the Basin Plan trading rules at the time of the trade; metering and take reporting follow the relevant state's requirements.
- Evidence to keep
- Water access entitlements, licences and allocation statements; meter readings and records of water taken; trade and transfer records; evidence that take stayed within licence conditions and the water resource plan rules.
- Maximum penalty
- Unauthorised take or breach of licence conditions is enforced under state water law, and the Inspector-General of Water Compliance oversees and can inquire into compliance with the Water Act, the Basin Plan and the Murray–Darling Basin Agreement; breaches of water market and water charge rules are enforced by the ACCC
- Regulator
- See source
- Jurisdiction
- Commonwealth (national)
Other obligations where agriculture, forestry & fishing differ from the norm
- EPBC Act — assess + approve controlled actions affecting MNES: Only if
- Food and Grocery Code of Conduct (now mandatory): Only if
- Maintain Hazardous Chemicals Register + manifest (WHS Reg): Yes
- Notify + remediate contaminated land (state): Only if
- On-farm biosecurity record-keeping + reporting: Yes
- Animal Welfare Standards + Guidelines — Land Transport of Livestock: Only if
- All 15 answers for agriculture, forestry & fishing
Questions
- Do agriculture, forestry and fishing businesses need to comply with Water Act 2007 (Cwlth) + state water entitlements?
- Only if you hold water entitlements or take water. Being in this industry makes the obligation worth checking (Industry: Agriculture, forestry & fishing), but the trigger is a fact the industry alone does not settle.
- Is the answer the same for every industry?
- No. For 33 of the 35 industries Rules Mate maps, the answer is no. Agriculture, forestry & fishing is one of 2 industries with a different answer.
Related
Sources
Computed by the Rules Mate applicability engine from the published obligation corpus; facts last checked 3 October 2026. Rules Mate is not a law firm and this is general information, not legal advice. Confirm your position with the regulator source or a qualified adviser before acting.