Riparian landowner responsibilities

Your rights as a riparian landowner are to:

• Own up to the centre of the watercourse, unless ownership is otherwise stated
• Receive water flows in its natural state, without interference to quality or quantity
• Protect property from flooding and erosion
• Fish with the legal methods and licenses
• Extract up to 20 cubic meters of water per day for domestic purposes

Your responsibilities as a riparian landowner are to:

• Accept water flow quality and quantity and to transfer this downstream along with drainage from your property
• Accept water ponding within your property, even if this is caused by inadequate channel capacity further downstream
• Keep watercourses clear of debris including animal carcasses, trash, trees and shrubs
• Any structures on your land must be kept clear of debris at your own expense, including trash screens, culverts and weirs.
• Carry out necessary watercourse maintenance at your own expense to the satisfaction of the relevant authority
• Allow water to flow unobstructed, free from pollution and diversion
• Allow the free passage of fish
• Not add any garden waste or litter from your property to the channel
• Ensure that protected species and their habitats are not harmed and that wildlife is preserved