392   State’s water rights

(1)  For the purposes of this Act, the rights to the control, use and flow of:

(a)  all water in rivers, lakes and aquifers, and

(b)  all water conserved by any works that are under the control or management of the Minister, and

(c)  all water occurring naturally on or below the surface of the ground,

      are the State’s water rights.

(2)  The State’s water rights are vested in the Crown, except to the extent to which they are divested from the Crown by or under this or any other Act.

(3)  The State’s water rights prevail over any authority conferred by or under any other Act or law, except to the extent to which this or any other Act expressly so provides.

(4)  The State’s water rights are not to be exercised in contravention of:

(a)  the powers conferred by section 15 of the Fire Brigades Act 1989 and section 26 of the Rural Fires Act 1997 on an officer in charge at a fire or hazardous material incident, or

(b)  the rights and obligations of the Snowy Hydro Company under a Snowy water licence within the meaning of the Snowy Hydro Corporatisation Act 1997, or

(c)  the rights conferred by the Rural Lands Protection Act 1989 with respect to the watering of stock at stock watering places within the meaning of that Act.