Department for Environment and Water

Government Environmental Management Servicesenvironment.sa.gov.au

The Department for Environment and Water is a South Australian Government department managing the state's national parks, marine parks, water resources, biodiversity, heritage, and climate policy, serving residents, land managers, researchers, and commercial operators through regulatory, conservation, and digital data platform services.

Company typePrivate
Founded-
HeadquartersAdelaide, Australia
Headcount1,001–5,000
GTM typeB2C
OfferingServices

What Department for Environment and Water does

The Department for Environment and Water (DEW) is a South Australian Government department, formerly known as the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources, responsible for managing the state's natural environment including national parks, marine parks, wilderness protection areas, conservation parks, water resources, biodiversity, heritage, and climate change policy. The department operates statewide from its Adelaide headquarters and delivers services through regional National Parks and Wildlife offices, the official environment.sa.gov.au website and self-service portal, the parks.sa.gov.au booking platform, and the Mapland product storefront. It manages iconic sites including Cleland Wildlife Park, Seal Bay Conservation Park, Naracoorte Caves, Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium, Adelaide Gaol, and Arkaroola, alongside the State Herbarium which houses over one million botanical specimens.

Its technology stack centres on a suite of government environmental data platforms: Mapland for spatial/GIS and aerial imagery, WaterConnect and mywater Portal for water resource data and licensing, the Water Register for prescribed water resources trading, NatureMaps for natural environment spatial data, BioData SA for biological census data, and Enviro Data SA for environmental monitoring. A mobile application (SA National Parks Tours) provides location-based park tour information. Core research infrastructure includes the State Herbarium, which employs molecular biology and microscopy to support plant systematics research.

DEW's revenue model is government-appropriations-led, supplemented by transaction-fee revenue streams from licences and permits (wildlife, plant, hunting, commercial tour operator, scientific research, shipwreck dive, water licences, and heritage permits), Mapland product sales (printed maps, GIS data, aerial photography), park entry fees and camping permits, and Crown land tenure fees. Customer segments span the general public, land managers and primary producers, researchers and educational institutions, commercial operators and tourism businesses, and local government councils. Key strategic priorities include the $190 million Adelaide beach replenishment program, the 30 by 30 conservation target, and Flinders Ranges World Heritage nomination pursuit.

Department for Environment and Water firmographics

Firmographics

Name: Department for Environment and Water
Legal name: Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources, the Government of South Australia
Website: https://environment.sa.gov.au
Company type: Private
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 1,001–5,000 employees
Short description: The Department for Environment and Water is a South Australian Government department managing the state's national parks, marine parks, water resources, biodiversity, heritage, and climate policy, serving residents, land managers, researchers, and commercial operators through regulatory, conservation, and digital data platform services.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

Department for Environment and Water industry classification

Industry

Product category: Government Environmental Management Services
NAICS: Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241), Administration of Air and Water Resource and Solid Waste Management Programs (924110), Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (22131), Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213)
SIC: Water Supply (4941), Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900)
akta.pro primary industry: Environmental Policy, Planning & Regulation (BPAIAMAA)
akta.pro secondary industries: Environmental Monitoring, Data & Reporting (Air/Water/Soil) (BPAIAMAC), Water Resources Administration (Watersheds, Rivers, Groundwater) (BPAIAMAE), Water & Wastewater Compliance (NPDES/Stormwater, Pretreatment, Drinking Water/SDWA) (EUAHABAB)

Keywords

Environmental regulation
Water resource management
Biodiversity conservation
National parks management
Wildlife permit services

Where Department for Environment and Water is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Adelaide
HQ country: Australia
HQ region: Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

Department for Environment and Water business model

Business model

GTM type: B2C
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

Government Appropriations: Core government funding through state budget appropriations to deliver public environmental services, regulatory functions, and conservation programs
Licences and Permits: Fees collected for wildlife permits, plant permits, hunting permits, commercial tour operator licences, scientific research permits, shipwreck dive permits, water licences and permits, and other regulatory approvals
Mapland Products: Sales of printed maps, bushwalking maps, aerial photography, spatial/GIS data, and publications through Mapland service
Parks Passes and Entry Fees: Revenue from park entry fees, camping permits, and commercial activities within national parks and reserves
Crown Land Tenure: Fees from Crown land licences, leases, easements, and development applications on government land

Pricing tiers

Model	Billing	Price
Other	Multi-year contract	Basic Hobbyist/Recreational Wildlife Permit
Other	Multi-year contract	Specialist Wildlife Permit
Other	Annual	Fauna Dealer Permit (Commercial)
Unit Pricing	Pay-as-you-go	Mapland Products

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Department for Environment and Water product offering

Product offering

Core offering

The Department for Environment and Water is a South Australian Government department responsible for managing the state's environment, water resources, national parks, wildlife, biodiversity, heritage places, and Crown land. It issues wildlife, scientific, heritage, and Crown land permits; operates visitor services in parks and reserves; and publishes environmental and water data through online platforms such as Mapland, WaterConnect, NatureMaps, and BioData SA.

Product overview

The Department for Environment and Water operates primarily as a government regulatory and service organization rather than a commercial product company. The department's offerings consist of a main government website platform providing access to environmental services, complemented by various data platforms (Mapland, WaterConnect, NatureMaps, BioData SA, Enviro Data SA), the State Herbarium research service, the mywater Portal for water licensing, the Water Register database, and the Wildlife Permit System for native animal licensing. The SA National Parks Tours mobile app provides location-based tour services. These products and services collectively support environmental management, water resource administration, biodiversity conservation, parks management, and regulatory compliance for South Australia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

Wildlife Permits
Scientific Research Permits
Heritage Places Permits
Crown Land Permits and Licences
Parks Camping and Accommodation Bookings
Mapland Maps
WaterConnect Water Data Subscription
NatureMaps Biodiversity Data
BioData SA Species Records

Quantifiable outcome

Water allocation increased to 92% for SA River Murray irrigators (2026-27)
+1 more outcomes

Companies that use Department for Environment and Water

Customer profile

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Department for Environment and Water technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Department for Environment and Water partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Department for Environment and Water competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Others

Bureau of Meteorology: Australia's national weather, climate, and water data agency. Closely linked to DEW's environmental monitoring, water resource, and climate adaptation functions as a primary data and forecasting partner.

Regional players

SA Water: South Australia's state-owned water utility operating drinking water and wastewater infrastructure. While DEW regulates and allocates water resources, SA Water delivers the actual supply and treatment services — closely linked but operationally distinct.

Direct peers

Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (Victoria): Victoria's consolidated environment, water, energy, and climate department. Performs the same regulatory, parks management, and water resource administration role for Victoria that DEW does for South Australia.
NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water: NSW's equivalent state environment and water department, administering national parks, wildlife, water resources, and environmental regulation across New South Wales. Directly comparable as a peer state-level environment agency with the same mandate structure.
Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (Western Australia): WA's primary regulator for water and environmental matters, with strong alignment to DEW's water licensing and environmental compliance functions. Closest peer on water regulation specifically.
Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania: Tasmania's natural resources and environment department, covering parks, wildlife, water, and natural resource management. Comparable scope to DEW at smaller state scale.
Department of Environment, Science and Innovation (Queensland): Queensland's environment and science department, responsible for national parks, wildlife, environmental regulation, and science delivery. Direct peer across environmental policy administration and parks management.
Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium of South Australia: A wholly-owned subsidiary/operating arm of DEW that manages botanic gardens and the State Herbarium research operations. Listed separately because it has its own board and public-facing identity but operates under DEW's mandate.

Emerging players

SA Environment Protection Authority: South Australia's independent environmental regulator, formerly part of DEW and now a separate statutory authority. Shares the same regulatory mandate but with a more narrowly focused compliance role.

Broad incumbents

Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (Commonwealth): Australian federal environment and water department providing national policy, funding, and regulatory frameworks that DEW operates within. Functions as the federal-level umbrella over state agencies like DEW.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Department for Environment and Water financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Department for Environment and Water leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Department for Environment and Water subsidiaries and ownership

Company hierarchy

Subsidiaries11 records

Department for Environment and Water funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Department for Environment and Water M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Department for Environment and Water

What does Department for Environment and Water do?

Is Department for Environment and Water a public or private company?

Department for Environment and Water is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.

When was Department for Environment and Water founded?

Department for Environment and Water was founded in -1. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.

Where is Department for Environment and Water based?

Department for Environment and Water is headquartered in Adelaide, Australia, in the Oceania region.

How does Department for Environment and Water make money?

Five revenue lines are on record. Government Appropriations are the primary driver. The others are licences and Permits, mapland Products, parks Passes and Entry Fees and crown Land Tenure.

Who are Department for Environment and Water's main competitors?

Bureau of Meteorology is listed as an others. SA Water is listed as a regional player. Direct peers are Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (Victoria), NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (Western Australia), Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania, Department of Environment, Science and Innovation (Queensland) and Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium of South Australia. SA Environment Protection Authority is listed as an emerging player. Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (Commonwealth) is listed as a broad incumbent.

Does Department for Environment and Water have an API?

No public API is recorded for Department for Environment and Water.

What industry is Department for Environment and Water in?

Department for Environment and Water's product category is Government Environmental Management Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAIAMAA, Environmental Policy, Planning & Regulation, with a secondary code of BPAIAMAC, Environmental Monitoring, Data & Reporting (Air/Water/Soil). Its NAICS code is 9241 and its SIC code is 4941.