Water Resources Act 1997 (Act No. 27 of 1997).

The object of this Act is to establish a system for the use and management of the water resources of the State (a) that ensures that the use and management of those resources sustain the physical, economic and social well being of the people of the State and facilitate the economic development of the State while- (i) ensuring that those resources are able to meet the reasonably foreseeable needs of future generations; and (ii) protecting the ecosystems (including their biological diversity) that depend on those resources; and (b) that, by requiring the use of caution and other safeguards, reduces to a minimum the detrimental effects of that use and management (sect. 6). Subject to this Act and to any other Act or law to the contrary, a person who has lawful access to a watercourse, lake or well may take water from the watercourse, lake or well for any purpose (sect. 7). Part IV provides for control of activities affecting water including the drilling of wells. A person must not take water from a prescribed watercourse, lake or well or take surface water from a surface water prescribed area:
(a) unless he or she is (i) authorized to do so: (A) by a water licence granted by the relevant authority; or (B) under section 11; or (ii) entitled to take the water for domestic purposes or for watering stock under section 7; and
(b) where the taking of water consists of the erection, construction or enlargement of a dam, wall or other structure that collects or diverts water flowing in a watercourse or flowing over any other land-unless he or she is authorized to erect, construct or enlarge the dam by a water licence or a permit referred to in subsection (3) (sect. 9). Part V provides for the licensing and allocation of water. Part VI contains provisions relative to the administration and management of water resources: The Water Resources Council is established under section 49. The Governor may, by proclamation made on the recommendation of the Minister, establish a catchment water management board (sect. 53). For prescribed waters which do not fall within the area of a catchment water management board, the Minister must, by notice in the Gazette, either: (a) establish a water resources planning committee in relation to the prescribed water resource; or (b) commit the water resource to an existing water resources planning committee. (The text of the Act consists of 158 sections divided into 11 Parts and is completed by 3 Schedules).