A magistrate at Bathurst Local Court last week found the company guilty and imposed fines and costs totaling $11,000.

The charges related to the sinking of five separate bores in the Bega and Candelo areas without obtaining the relevant groundwater licences.

Under the relevant legislation, corporations can receive a maximum penalty of $22,000 for each offence.

Minister for Primary Industries, Katrina Hodgkinson, said that convictions and fines imposed on the company demonstrated the NSW Government’s commitment to protecting the state’s aquifers.

“The illegal actions of this operator had the potential to impact on licensed water users, stock and domestic users as well as the environment by reducing the volume of water in the aquifers underlying the relevant properties,” Ms Hodgkinson said.

She said water theft and illegal drilling into the state’s aquifers placed the livelihoods of individuals, rural communities and the environment at risk.

“While the vast majority of water users do the right thing, some people still think they are above the law and can illegally drill into aquifers without getting caught,” Ms Hodgkinson said.

“Despite a boom in coal seam gas extraction and mining in NSW, the former Labor Government did not have the foresight or aptitude to implement an aquifer interference policy.

“The former Labor Government spent years neglecting our precious groundwater sources and this ruling demonstrates that this sort of illegal activity is no longer acceptable in NSW,” she said.

Ms Hodgkinson said the NSW Government was committed to managing and protecting the state’s water resources in a fair and sensible manner, and would not hesitate to take the appropriate action if people have broken the law.

If the offences take place in an area covered by a water sharing plan, which now extend to more than 90 per cent of the state’s water sources, the maximum penalty is $1.1 million.

Anyone wishing to report suspected illegal water activities can do so confidentially on 1800 633 362 or by emailing watercompliance@water.nsw.gov.au< p>