(1) The Minister may, by order published in the Gazette, declare an embargo on the making of applications for approvals with respect to any water management area.
(1A) Such an order may apply to the whole of a water management area or to any specified part of a water management area, and to approvals generally or to any specified type or kind of approvals.
(2) An order under this section may relate to all applications, to applications of a specified kind or to all applications other than applications of a specified kind.
(3) As soon as practicable after an order under this section is published in the Gazette, notice of the order must be published in the authorised manner.
(4) An order under this section takes effect at the beginning of the date on which it is published in the Gazette and, unless sooner revoked, expires at the end of 2 years after that date.