New Fee Structure for Application and Licence to Extract Water

Effective August 1, 2009, the Water Resources Authority (WRA) will be implementing a new fee structure for the application and granting of licences or consent (permits) to extract water.
The new fee will be $45,000, including $15,000 for the application and $30,000 for the licence or consent (permit).
The current cost to the WRA to process the application and permit is $45,750, of which only 33 per cent is recovered through the existing fees. The last increase in the fees was made in July 1997 and, despite increases in cost, has been maintained at $15,000 for the past 12 years, according to WRA Managing Director, Basil Fernandez.
This new fee structure has been approved by Minister of Water and Housing, the Hon. Dr. Horace Chang, under the power conferred on the Minister by Section 49 (1) of the Water Resources Act. This Section gives the Minister the power to make regulations in relation to the fees and charges payable for any licence or consent granted under the Act.
The fee structure will require separate fees to be paid for the application and for the licence/permit. Presently, one fee covers both the application and licence/permit.
The new fee represents less than 0.25 per cent of the cost of construction of any groundwater supply system and less than 0.1 per cent of any surface water supply system, according to Mr. Fernandez.