The Department of Regional Development, Manufacturing and Water (DRDMW) has announced amendments to the Water Act 2000 and Water Regulation 2016 to improve water measurement in Queensland.
Changes to water laws will be implemented in stages over the next six months. It will provide a broader range of measurement devices that measure and report water taken, including telemetry, water level stations, and non-urban water meters.
DRDMW Executive Director – Water Act Initiatives, Ian Gordon, said these changes would help manage the state’s water resources more fairly and sustainably by ensuring measurement devices are fit for purpose and meet Queensland’s measurement standards.
“A key change in place from 22 July reduces the time allowed for repairing faulty measurement devices to 30 business days or about six weeks,” Mr Gordon said.
“This will encourage water users to repair measurement devices quickly and improve the accuracy of water measurement. Water users will still need to report a suspected fault in their device within three days. Once the device is fixed, it must be certified by a qualified person.”
Regulation changes also define who is considered a qualified person, ensuring that only someone with the required skills and qualifications can certify whether a measurement device meets the required standards.
“The certification process is required every five years and provides greater confidence and assurance that measurement devices are operating and measuring water take effectively,” Mr Gordon said.
New requirements also require surface water users in Queensland’s Murray-Darling Basin to install telemetry devices that report water take information daily to the department.
Changes to be implemented include new reporting requirements for water users to advise the department about their work to take water and the attached measurement devices.
“It’s important to note that many of the regulation changes will be rolled out gradually, and our department will work with water users to explain what they need to do to meet their obligations as they come into effect,” Mr Gordon said.
“These amendments continue our work to improve the management of our state’s water resources and provide water users with more transparent information and confidence that they are meeting their regulatory obligations and accessing their fair share of water,” Mr Gordon said.
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