9 July 2026

A behavioural science partnership with Monash University is helping the Natural Resources Access Regulator (NRAR) find better ways to support water users to comply with the law.

The result is a “Fundamentals Program” that will see field staff visit water users across regional NSW to build their confidence and equip them with the tools needed for compliance.

During July, the final month of the pilot program’s first stage, NRAR will visit properties in the Macquarie-Castlereagh, Barwon Darling-West, Murrumbidgee, Murray, Lachlan and Gwydir water sharing regions.

NRAR Director of Education and Engagement, Keeley Reynolds, said the visits so far have shown water users want help understanding the fundamentals of water compliance.

“Our field staff have visited more than 100 properties and found about three-quarters were potentially breaching the rules,” Ms Reynolds said.

“By collaborating with the BehaviourWorks Australia team at Monash University, we’ve set up the pilot program based on behavioural science insights that focus on what actually drives voluntary compliance,” Ms Reynolds said.

“During our visits we are helping water users understand the fundamentals of water compliance so they can make the right decisions,” she said.

The fundamentals are the core skills, knowledge and actions needed to comply with the NSW water rules.

“When people don’t have the basics in place, they are more likely to end up on the wrong side of compliance without even knowing it,” Ms Reynolds said.

“The Fundamentals program centres on a range of behaviour insights, for example, licence holders might be more inclined to act if they believe those around them are doing the same,” she said.

“Therefore, a key part of the program involves sharing NRAR’s findings with licence holders so they can see what the most common compliance issues are in their area and how to resolve them. We will be able to do that when we wrap up the second stage of the pilot,” she said.

During a property visit, staff check:

• that the correct licences and approvals are in place for taking and using water

• that the infrastructure meets approval conditions

• that recording and reporting practices are compliant.

At the end of the visit, staff will discuss what they observed with the water user and explain any potential non-compliance and outline options to address it.