Your water licence and State Water bills
When are bills issued?
How long do I get to pay my bill?
How can I pay my bulk water charges?
Dishonoured or declined payments
Licence suspensions
Hardship
Interest charges
Billing errors
Grievances
Debt Recovery At State Water
Department of Natural Resources bills
More information

 

 

 

When you are issued with a Water Access Licence under the Water Management Act 2000, or have a water licence issued under the Water Act 1912 from the Department of Natural Resources, you are granted the right to share in the use of the water available from the nominated source(s).

The licence provides you with a water entitlement, against which you may extract a specified amount of water each year. The Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal sets the maximum price that State Water may charge for your water entitlement and any water usage for a water year, or any part thereof. Note, your water entitlement is the amount of water on your licence and not the annual allocation or Available Water Determination.

 

 

 

 

 

State Water bills in arrears, so bills are issued after the end of the financial year. Most customers receive their bills at the end of the water year, usually in August. Customers in the Border Rivers, Gwydir, Namoi and Peel Valleys receive quarterly bills in arrears, usually in October, January, April and August.

 

 

 

 

 

All bills are payable in full within 30 days of the date of issue. If your bill is not paid after this time, interest will be charged on the outstanding amount, in accordance with the rate set by the Supreme Court of NSW. We will send you a reminder notice(s) and overdue notice(s) if your bill is overdue. If you do not pay your bill, State Water may suspend your licence (see below), and this will affect your ability to order and take water.

 

 

 

 

You can pay your water bill by:

1. Cheque or money order, posted with the payment advice slip(s) from your bill or statement, to Locked Bag 51 Dubbo NSW 2830;

2. Cash, paid at any State Water office, where a receipt will be given to you. If you do not receive a receipt, please ask for one; or

3. BPay – BPay is one of the easiest and quickest ways to pay your water bill either by bank transfer or credit card. It takes about two minutes and you can do it 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Simply:

• Ensure you are registered for internet and/or phone banking with your financial institution.
• Access their phone and/or internet banking service and follow the simple prompts.

• Select your account type.
• Enter the Biller Code and Reference Number from the Payment Advice slip on the front of your bill.
• Enter the amount you wish to pay.
• Record your receipt number.

4. Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) or Direct Deposit, allowing you to transfer funds from your bank account directly into ours. Our account details are:

BSB 032-001
Account No 112916

To make sure your deposit is correctly credited against your account, enter your licence number as the transaction reference and fax or email your remittance advice to 02 6884 2603 or billing@statewater.com.au .

 

 

 

 

We will charge you to recover the cost of any bank fees we receive for dishonoured or declined payments associated with your account.

 

 

 

 

 

State Water can take action to suspend your licence issued under the Water Act 1912 or your Water Access Licence and Works Approval issued under the Water Management Act 2000 if you do not pay your bill or for over use of water. We will only suspend your licence if you fail to respond to two overdue notices, warning that your bill is overdue. You should take immediate action to resolve and pay your bill and any other outstanding amounts owed to State Water. This can be done by contacting your local Customer Service Officer or calling our Billing Team on 1800 353 091.

In accordance with S78(3)(a) of the Water Management Act 2000 and S22(C)(9) of the Water Act 1912, it is illegal to use water while your licence is suspended for non-payment of your bill and State Water may take legal action.

 

 

 

You are responsible for ensuring your bill is paid in full and on time. You can talk to us about an alternative payment plan if you are experiencing genuine hardship and having difficulty paying your bill. This will avoid having your licence suspended for non-payment.

To be eligible for a deferred payment plan longer than three months, you must be able to satisfy one or more of the following conditions:

• You are receiving direct benefits from the Commonwealth Exceptional Circumstances Scheme
• You are receiving benefits under a State-operated drought or other natural disaster relief scheme
• You are suffering conditions arising from a drought of record in your valley/area, and have no carryover water or access to other water
• You are experiencing conditions that create a direct and significant impact on your ability to pay water charges.

Your application must be supported by one or more of the following:

• Documentary evidence from Centrelink or the Rural Assistance Authority that demonstrates financial hardship
• Evidence that farm income has been reduced by at least 70% due to the abnormal conditions being experienced
• A Statutory Declaration of off-farm income and investment levels, with evidence that annual off-farm income is less than $20,000 per annum
• Evidence that you have attempted to trade any available water on the temporary or permanent market, eg copies of water transfer applications.

Overdue bills will continue to attract interest.

We carefully and confidentially consider all applications to defer payments. However, requests for negotiated payments are not automatically approved. Talk to our Billing Team in 1800 353 091 if you need further details.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you feel that your invoice is incorrect, please talk to your local Customer Service Officer or call our Billing Hotline on 1800 353 091 to discuss your concerns or send an email to billing@statewater.com.au .

 

 

 

 

 

We have a system for addressing concerns and issues related to our operations. If you feel that your questions or any complaint made to State Water has not been resolved, you may choose to complete a Concerns Form. Click here to find out more about our complaints handling process and the role of the Energy and Water Ombudsman of NSW or to lodge a Concerns Form. http://www.statewater.com.au/contact_us.htm

 

 

 

 

 

Water charges for DNR, as determined by the Independent Pricing and Resultaory Tribunal are billed separately, by State Water, on Department of Natural Resources stationery. These bills should be paid directly to the Department of Natural Resources, as per the instructions on your bill.

 

 

 

 

Billing Enquiries:

 

 

Email billing@statewater.com.au

 

Customer Service Enquiries:
Click here for details of how to contact one of our offices direct http://www.statewater.com.au/contact_us.htm