Water Act 2000

The authority to take or interfere with the water continues under the special agreement Act until a water licence is granted under this section to replace the authority.

However, the relevant company may take or interfere with the water after the commencement of this section only under a water licence granted under this section to replace all or a part of the authority.

The relevant company may give the chief executive a notice stating the company proposes to—

take or interfere with the water in relation to all or a part of the authority; and

obtain a water licence under this section to replace all or the part of the authority.

Subsections (1) and (2) apply despite section 1037A(3) and (4) and anything to the contrary in the special agreement Act.

If a relevant company gives the chief executive a notice under subsection (3), the chief executive must, within 30 business days after receiving the notice, grant the company a water licence to replace all or the part of the authority to which the notice relates.

The water licence may be granted—

with or without conditions; and

without the need for an application under section 206.

A condition of the water licence must not be inconsistent with—

the specified conditions for the special agreement Act; or

an environmental impact statement, or any report or study prepared in support of the environmental impact statement, that deals with taking or interfering with water in the Wenlock Basin, to the extent the environmental impact statement, report or study is not inconsistent with the specified conditions mentioned in paragraph (a).

If the chief executive grants a water licence under this section, the chief executive must, within 30 business days, give the relevant company—

the water licence in the approved form; and

an information notice about the grant.

A water licence granted under this section is taken to be a water licence for this Act.