A NSW water audit has found over 100 properties that have been extracting too much. 

The Natural Resources Access Regulator (NRAR) is the NSW Government body responsible for the enforcement of water laws. 

NRAR has used new satellite technology to identify more than 100 cases where farms have taken more water than they are entitled to, 13 of which merited serious enforcement action.

NRAR’s spokesperson says the results show how effective its methods are becoming.

“We aren’t able to compare these results with previous years but can say with confidence that these results speak to our increased ability to detect non-compliance rather than an increase in these behaviours,” the agency said.

Satellite technology enables NRAR staff to measure water consumption through remote sensing detection of changes in vegetation and evopo-transpiration. This allows them to focus on probable breaches rather than trying to track usage on every property.

One of the properties in the latest sweep allegedly overdrew their water account by 2,280 megalitres between October 2018 and November 2020, including a period of severe drought, from the at-risk Murrumbidgee Deep Groundwater Source.

The offender was charged for the extra 2280ML of water and cannot use it in the following year, in addition to a $125,000 fine paid to NRAR for their legal and investigation costs, and $80,000 for a community project.

NRAR water regulation (west) director Graeme White says irrigators have a responsibility to learn the rules. 

“Water accounts are like a bank account, not a credit card,” he said. 

“You can’t take more out of them than you have in them.

“It’s a common misconception that you can purchase water after you’ve pumped. That’s not true, you have committed an offence by overdrawing your account.

“Not knowing the rules doesn’t excuse non-compliance.”