The Natural Resources Access Regulator (NRAR) have just marked their two year anniversary and 20th prosecution.
This is almost triple the prosecution rate of those allegedly breaching water laws of the two years prior to NRAR's establishment.
The organisation, which now employs around 150 people, was established following Ken Matthews' 2017 investigation into water management and compliance, which looked at allegations of water theft from the Barwon River.
However, NRAR Chief Regulatory Officer Grant Barnes said it would be wrong to assume they mostly target large-scale cotton growers in northern NSW.
"Whilst, that (Ken Matthews' investigation) might be the reason why we were established as an independent regulator, our work since has seen us dealing with matters of non-compliance throughout the state," Mr Barnes said.
"There's no one area where non-compliance is more concentrated than others, we work in the North-East of the state with the intensive horticulture industry, growing blueberries, raspberries and the like.
"We work down in the Southern Riverina, investigating incidences of non-compliance with water infrastructure requirements, we are working throughout the west as well."
Misunderstanding still rife
He said in their two years of operation, they had found the vast majority of water users do comply with the law.
However, he said there were circumstances where water users unwittingly find themselves in non-compliance.
"I think that a general state of confusion can persist with water users, since we've been in operation the regulatory regime is complex, whether that's the interpretation of a Water Sharing Plan or conditions of a Water Access Licence, we can often see water users being not absolutely sure about what their obligations are," Mr Barnes said.
"In those circumstances we offer advice and guidance, because it's our intention to ensure water users do get into compliance and that they do so quickly, that sees us providing formal advice or issuing cautions or warning notices."
No meter, no pump
NRAR has also been assisting the state government in the roll out of water reform initiatives, including the new metering rules.
"NRAR advocates strongly for the no meter, no pump principal," Mr Barnes said.
"At the conclusion of the metering roll out, we'll see most water extracted from NSW being recorded by way of a pattern approved meter, that goes a huge way for more actively accounting for the water being taken and for bringing greater transparency to what water is being used and when."
Southern Basin irrigators have raised concerns that in relation to the new metering rules, they are being placed in the same category as their northern counterparts despite having had compliance requirements in place for some time.
But, Mr Barnes argues "the imposition of strict requirements is one thing, ensuring that you comply with those is another matter."
NRAR are also pushing for floodplain harvesting to be brought under a licencing regime by the current July 2021 deadline.
"It's challenging for an independent regulator to regulate the use of water when it's not in a licensing regime," Mr Barnes said.
During COVID-19 NRAR has remained open for business but Mr Barnes said travel has been avoided where possible, the organisation instead relying on technology to carry out inspections.
"We have access to remote sensing technology, to satellite imagery and to drones, that enables us to undertake our investigations without being physically present on site," Mr Barnes said.