Yes. Every bore in Victoria needs a bore construction licence, and irrigation or other commercial farming use also needs a separate Take and Use Licence from your regional rural water corporation. In some southern Victorian groundwater areas, new licences aren’t available and water trading is the fallback. A free site assessment is the fastest way to check where your property stands.
Two Licences, Not One: What Victorian Law Actually Requires
If you’re planning an irrigation bore in Victoria, there are two separate approvals to know about, not one. Every bore in the state, whether it’s for a house, stock, or irrigation, needs a bore construction licence before drilling starts. On top of that, irrigation and other commercial farming uses need a Take and Use Licence from your regional rural water corporation, such as Southern Rural Water or Goulburn-Murray Water, depending on where your property sits. The construction licence covers the physical act of drilling. The Take and Use Licence covers how much water you’re allowed to draw once the bore is in.
Why Irrigation Needs Extra Licensing (And a Domestic or Stock Bore Doesn’t)
A domestic or stock bore generally only needs the standard construction licence, because the volume drawn is small and ongoing use isn’t metered the same way. Irrigation is a different scale of extraction altogether: a bore feeding a centre pivot, flood irrigation, or a vineyard trickle system can draw far more water, over a longer season, than a household ever would. That’s why irrigation counts as a commercial farming use under Victorian water law, and why it needs its own Take and Use Licence with an allocated volume attached to it, rather than being covered by the construction licence alone.
What If Your Groundwater Area Is Already Fully Allocated?
This is the part most first-time irrigation bore owners don’t know to ask about. Victoria’s groundwater is managed by area, called Groundwater Management Areas, and some of these, particularly in southern Victoria, are already fully allocated. That doesn’t necessarily mean you’re out of options, but it does mean a new Take and Use Licence might not be available in your specific area, and water trading (buying an existing allocation from someone else) can be the practical fallback. It’s exactly the kind of thing that’s worth checking before you commit to a drilling date, not after.
How to Check Your Position Before You Drill
The two questions, can we physically get water here, and can we legally use it for irrigation, are separate, and it’s worth running them in parallel rather than one after the other. Talk to your regional rural water corporation directly about your Groundwater Management Area’s allocation status and what a Take and Use Licence application involves for your property. At the same time, a free site assessment from Murray Water Boring will tell you what your property can actually support, drawing on three generations and 90+ years of combined family drilling experience across Victorian farms and vineyards. Getting both answers before you’re locked into a drilling date means no surprises either way.
FAQs
Do I need a water licence for a stock or domestic bore too?
No, not the same one. A stock or domestic bore still needs the standard bore construction licence like any bore, but it doesn’t generally trigger the additional Take and Use Licence that irrigation and other commercial farming uses need.
Who do I apply to for a Take and Use Licence?
Your regional rural water corporation, Southern Rural Water if you’re in the south of the state, or Goulburn-Murray Water further north. Which one applies depends on where your property is.
What happens if my Groundwater Management Area is fully allocated?
A new licence might not be available in that area, and water trading, buying an existing allocation, can be the fallback. It genuinely depends on your location, so it’s worth checking with your regional rural water corporation directly rather than assuming either way.
Can I book a site assessment before I’ve sorted out my water licence?
Yes, and it’s often worth doing both at the same time. A free site assessment tells you what your property can support, while the licensing question runs through your regional rural water corporation separately. Get in touch with our team when you’re ready to talk through where you’re at.
Ready to Look Into an Irrigation Bore for Your Property?
If you’re weighing up an irrigation bore and want to know where you stand on both water and licensing, contact us for a free site assessment, or read more about our irrigation bore drilling service for Victorian farms and vineyards.