Water Supply (Critical Needs) Act 2019

The Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (DPIE) has made available further information on the Water Supply (Critical Needs) Act 2019 on its website, including a fact sheet explaining the information authorities must supply when applying for the listing and authorisation of developments under the Act as well as a frequently asked questions section. You can find out more on DPIE's website here, which includes links to a fact sheet and Frequently Asked Questions.

The  Water Supply (Critical Needs) Act 2019 creates a temporary pathway for the Minister for Water, Property and Housing to authorise critical water infrastructure developments which are urgently needed to secure water supplies for regional towns in the current drought where this cannot be achieved through the usual planning approval pathways in time to prevent a town or locality running out of water. The Act also enables the Minister to turn off or modify the Water Management Act (NSW) 2000 and related instruments to speed up the granting or amendment of water licences and approvals required for critical town water supplies.