In Australia, most people who carry out bore construction, abandonment or any other work on an existing bore must be licensed.
The aim of licensing is to ensure:
- the protection of the groundwater resource from contamination, deterioration and undue completion
- the long-term economic production of groundwater of the best possible quality
In the past, the licensing of waterwell drillers was very fragmented. Each state and territory developed different structures and procedures, creating problems for both drillers and licensing authorities.
The introduction of uniform national licensing in 1990 means that the technical knowledge and skills of a driller licensed in one state or territory are now recognised nationally.
Presently, while each state and territory may have its own legal framework to govern groundwater use and access, technical requirements and minimum bore construction requirements are nationally agreed.