The Queensland Government Department of Local Government, Water and Volunteers (DLGWV) is warning landholders to take care when getting a water bore drilled, ensuring they use only properly licensed drillers.
Unlicensed bore drilling outfits are costing landholders tens of thousands of dollars and valuable time, with bores that are incorrectly drilled, resulting in the need to drill a whole new bore or repair a poorly made bore.
DLGWV Executive Director Bernadette McNevin said landholders were being caught out by unlicensed drilling operators and were facing expensive remediation that included potentially having to pay for a new bore to be drilled or undertake extensive works to bring the bore construction up to the required standard.
“We are seeing these unlicensed operators throughout rural Queensland, taking advantage of landholders by charging them for bores that are not constructed to standard,” McNevin said.
DLGWV investigated and prosecuted a person last year for unlicensed water bore drilling. A magistrate fined Michael Sanderson $150,000. A conviction was not recorded, and Sanderson was ordered to engage a licensed driller to undertake remediation works on many of the bores he had drilled.
“Sadly, Sanderson isn’t the only unlicensed drill operator out there. Unlicensed operators are being referred to landholders by other businesses and suppliers, and the landholders are trusting that referral. They’re engaging the referred person because it can be challenging to get drillers to rural locations, and landholders can get caught out.
“Our strong message is to check the license yourself. Ask to see a copy of their licence. Save yourself potentially thousands in remediation costs with this simple step,” McNevin said.
“Our investigation found that Sanderson constructed many bores across a wide area of southern Queensland. He showed little regard for the construction standards our licensed drillers abide by for the safe and sustainable access to the state’s underground water resources, and he continued to drill even after our investigators had made contact with him,” she said.
“A simple check on our DLGWV website, or contacting your local DLGWV Office, will let any landholder know whether the driller is licensed or not,” McNevin said.
“Landholders should not only check that the driller they have engaged is licensed, but also that they have the correct class of licence for the bore that is being constructed on their property. Any water bore drilling activity carried out on your property must be done by, or under the physical supervision, of a licensed driller”.
“Being licensed to drill water bores is more than just paperwork. There are serious considerations when drilling bores, and unlicensed drillers may not have the knowledge or skills required to do this safely and properly.”
There is a range of risks associated with bores that have been drilled by unlicensed drillers. Things that can go wrong include the bore collapsing, the casing not being the right material for the soil type, the bore not being drilled deep enough, or the bore not producing the expected volume of water.
“The primary goal of the licensing system is resource protection – only licensing drillers that have demonstrated their experience and willingness to construct bores in accordance with industry standards,” she said.
In the case of Sanderson, invoices to customers included identifying the works that his company conducted as being performed by a certified person.
This was found not to be the case. When departmental drilling technical experts examined the bores, most were found to be deficient, without the required sealing of the bore annulus with a grout seal to protect the aquifers from incursion of contaminants.
In the court case, Sanderson was convicted of drilling 11 bores without a licence, invoicing his landholder customers more than $1.2 million. Most of the bores required repair work to bring them up to the required standard, with 10 of the 11 bores deemed defective. The magistrate highlighted Sanderson’s deception of his customers.
DLGWV encourage anyone who has concerns about a driller they’ve engaged in work, to contact our Drillers Licensing team – drillers.licensing@rdmw.qld.gov.au
Landholders looking for a licensed bore driller can visit the department’s website: Finding a driller
