Are you a business in the Whitsundays region facing challenges in acquiring a domestic workforce for job positions? The Greater Whitsundays Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA) might be the solution we’ve all been looking for.
DAMAs are formal agreements between the Australian Government and regional authorities, providing access to a broader range of overseas workers than the standard skilled migration programs. These agreements offer a tailored response to address local economic and labour market needs, supporting Australian businesses where there are skills gaps and shortages that cannot be met domestically.
The benefits of DAMAs include:
- Identifying specific occupations tailored to our region’s needs.
- Including more occupations available across a range of skill levels, including semi-skilled occupations.
- Extending temporary visa options (482 Temporary Skills Shortage, subclass 494 Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional), and subclass 186 Employer Nominated Scheme visa programs) for up to 5 years.
- Providing concessions to standard visa requirements, recognising regional diversity and attracting a broader range of applicants.
- Increasing pathways to permanent residency, enabling regions to attract and retain workers and reduce staff turnover.
The Chamber is partnering with Regional Development Australia Greater Whitsundays (RDA GW) along with three Local Governments, other regional Chambers of Commerce, and several Industry Peak Bodies to explore how the region can establish a DAMA to support the skilled workers’ needs of employers in the region.
Progress in establishing a DAMA:
- August 2022: Initial discussions with the Whitsunday business community to determine interest and demand for DAMA.
- June 2023: Business Community Attitudes Survey which showed encouraging results with Whitsunday businesses accounting for 31% of survey participants and 51% of respondents considering using DAMA if it was available and suggesting plausible demand for 7,100 to 10,900 DAMA workers over the next two years.
- October 2023: Mackay Regional Chamber of Commerce leads work in developing a business case for establishing a DAMA in our region.
- June 2024: Federal Government’s Department of Home Affairs announced that new DAMA requests are currently not being accepted. Unfortunately, we are unable to progress our application until the Federal Government re-opens applications. This is a disappointing turn of events for both skill migrants and businesses within the region, and the consortium of Greater Whitsunday organisations continues to explore options.
The Chamber believes a DAMA will provide regional businesses with new pathways to meet workforce challenges faced by business such as a lack of qualified domestic candidates, labour supply not meeting demand needs, and increased domestic workforce salary expectations.
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