House of Assembly Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3) 51 3 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Answers to Questions Water Policy WATER POLICY In reply to Mr GRIFFITHS House of Assembly Goyder WATER POLICY In reply to Mr GRIFFITHS (Goyder) (2 July 2008) (Estimates Committee B). The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for State/Local Government Relations, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister for Government Enterprises, Minister Assisting the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Energy) The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for State/Local Government Relations, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister for Government Enterprises, Minister Assisting the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Energy): I am advised that: The Department of Water, Land and Biodiversity Conservation has endorsed and published Customer Service Standards for the processing of licence and permit applications. I am advised that, the amount of time required to process an application varies depending on the type of application and whether a technical assessment is required when assessing the application against the relevant Acts and principles in the relevant Natural Resources Management Plans and Water Allocation Plans. In some cases the technical assessment may require the applicant to undertake an aquifer pump test, which adds to the time to process the application. Four applications for new water licences involving water allocation transfers in the Clare Valley have been received and processed in the last three water use years. In the Clare Valley. An application for a water allocation transfer must accompany the application for new water licence, since there is no new water available to be allocated. The average time for processing these applications was 57 days. The standard for new water licences is to have 90 per cent processed within 10 business days. The standard for water allocation transfers requiring technical assessment is to have 90 per cent processed within 40 business days. Where a new licence involves a water allocation transfer, the water license application is usually not processed until the allocation transfer application has been technically assessed.