Local water boards
Water authorities and local water boards are established under the Water Act 2000 to carry out a range of local water activities. They are classified as either Category 1 or Category 2. Category 1 water authorities operate on a much larger scale than Category 2 water authorities.
Many Category 2 authorities may serve only a few landholders, with landholders sharing the cost and workload of maintaining the water infrastructure or drainage.
Others may support in excess of 500 properties, run a multimillion dollar budget, and employ full-time staff.
Queensland has two Category 1 authorities: the Gladstone Area Water Board and the Mount Isa Water Board.
Category 1 authorities and Category 2 water authorities report to the Department of Regional Development, Manufacturing and Water.
- View a list of water authorities and their contact details.
Statutory obligations
Water authorities have obligations as registered water service providers and a range of statutory obligations under the Water Act 2000, the Financial Accountability Act 2009, the Financial and Performance Management Standard 2009 and the Water Supply (Safety and Reliability) Act 2008.
Annual reports and strategic plans
You can find out more about the activities and plans of water authorities in their annual report and strategic plan.
- Consolidated annual reports and financial statements for Category 2 water authorities
- Strategic plans – Category 2 water authorities (PDF, 1.2MB)
Visit the Gladstone Area Water Board and the Mount Isa Water Board for copies of their reports and plans.
Community projects
Local water boards may initiate community participation in natural resource protection projects such as stream bank rehabilitation. Recently Glamorgan Vale Water Board completed a project in weed eradication and revegetation along Black Snake Creek (PDF, 369KB).