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Major water policy refonns in Australia have ushered in a system of water rights, water planning, and cap and trade markets. As with any regulatory system, the success of these refonns is ultimately dependent on compliance and enforcement to ensure equitable sharing of water resources to minimise water theft and secure the integrity of traded water entitlements and allocations. Despite its centrality to successful water governance, to date, compliance and enforcement has remained largely overlooked in the water law and policy literature. This is particularly the case in relation to the regulation of groundwater. In response, this study sheds light on State compliance and enforcement practices, with a particular emphasis on the groundwater context. Drawing on 25 in-depth interviews with government inspectors and managers, water users and water delivery operators, the article examines the successes and …