Foreign ownership of water entitlements
From 1 July 2017, the Australian Government introduced a new water entitlements register to increase transparency around foreign investment in Australia. If you’re a foreign person (including a temporary resident or a foreign non-resident) and you plan to invest in Australian water, you may need to register your interests in certain water entitlements or contractual water rights.
What you need to know
- Foreign persons with registrable water entitlements or contractual water rights may need to notify the Australian Taxation Office.
- A stocktake period is in place between 1 July 2017 and 30 November 2017.
- Following the stocktake period, a foreign person must notify the Australian Taxation Office of certain events regarding their interests every year.
- This information will be used to create a register of foreign ownership of water entitlements.
Where to register
The registration form is available on the Australian Taxation Office website.
More information
For more information, please visit the Australian Taxation Office website or contact 1800 050 377.
Disclaimer
This is an initiative of the Australian Government, and does not impact on any rights conferred by water licences issued under the Rights in Water and Irrigation Act 1914, or on the water licensing policy and procedures administered by the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation. For further information, please contact the Australian Taxation Office.