We regularly run surveys that provide insights to help inform our activities and priorities.
We ran our first community benchmarking survey in 2020. A second survey was run in 2021, building on our understanding of the community we regulate.
In 2023, our most recent community benchmarking survey was completed.
Objectives of the research
Our benchmarking surveys are used to track how the community views the enforcement of water laws and how our role as the regulator has changed over time.
The surveys also allow us to identify community concerns and work to address them.
Our latest 2023 survey was conducted by an independent research company. A total of 1,615 people were surveyed, including 1118 licence holders, 47 stakeholder groups and 450 members of the public. The survey was done mostly through survey forms but with additional direct phone interviews to gain further understanding and information.
Key findings from the 2023 survey
- NRAR is maturing and achieving regulatory balance.
- Awareness of NRAR is rising, yet confidence appears to be declining.
- NRAR’s staff are well regarded.
- The general public believes water theft is ongoing. An even greater number believe more should be done to combat water theft.
- In 2022-23, NRAR took 38 serious cases to court and issued over 210 enforcement actions. However, the community still perceives water theft as widespread.
Read a summary of the 2023 survey findings here (PDF, 997.7 KB)
We will continue our work to increase awareness to ensure water is shared fairly across NSW.
All our surveys are part of NRAR’s broader stakeholder engagement approach.
Next steps
We’ll be taking action to address concerns and comments from the survey in several ways:
Continue to educate, enable and encourage water users
We will continue to develop or source educational materials across a range of topics.
Highlight and promote our ability to detect non-compliance
We will deter wrongdoing by showcasing our ability to detect illegal activity. We will promote our successful enforcement actions to discourage misconduct.
Continuously improve our field visits and follow up communications
We will continue to provide quality training for staff. We will also provide clarity following our field visits.
Past surveys
In 2020, we commissioned our first community survey.
An independent research company conducted the survey with an anonymous sample of approximately 1000 regulated entities, 1000 members of the public and 40 stakeholder groups.
Read the 2020 survey findings here (PDF, 703.13 KB)
In 2021, we conducted a community pulse survey amongst a much smaller group of approximately 350 regulated entities, 350 members of the public and 25 stakeholder groups.