After an email forwarded to members last week, providing a list of new occupations that have been added to the WA DAMA, we received feedback from quite a few members demonstrating some confusion about DAMAs and their application for Exmouth. A quick summary below will hopefully assist in alleviating this confusion.
But First, another bit of clarification: Despite moving to the Pilbara Electorate for election/political purposes, Exmouth remains in the Gascoyne Region.
So, onto DAMAs.
What is a DAMA?
A Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA) is a formal agreement between the Australian Government’s Department of Home Affairs and a regional, state, or territory authority. DAMAs provide access to more overseas workers than the standard skilled migration programs, offering flexibility for regions to address their unique economic and labour market conditions.
Western Australia currently has five DAMAs, the Western Australian DAMA and four Regional DAMAs.
Western Australian DAMA (WA DAMA)
The Western Australian DAMA was established to address critical skills shortages and boost the state’s economy. It provides 5,000 migration places, allocated equally between metropolitan and regional employers. This enables employers to attract and retain skilled workers in key areas such as building and construction, health and aged care, tourism and hospitality, and agriculture.
NOTE: The occupations list under the WA DAMA for the metropolitan area differs from the list for regional areas.
Regional DAMAs in Western Australia
There are four regional DAMAs in Western Australia, each tailored to meet the unique demands of their respective regions:
- Goldfields DAMA: Covers the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder and surrounding shires.
- Kimberley DAMA: Covers the Shires of Wyndham East Kimberley, Broome, Halls Creek, and Derby-West Kimberley.
- Pilbara DAMA: Covers the City of Karratha, Town of Port Hedland, and Shire of East Pilbara.
- South West DAMA: Covers the City of Bunbury, City of Busselton, and surrounding shires.
What does this mean for Exmouth?
The Gascoyne Region, and therefore Exmouth, is not covered by a specific Regional DAMA; however, the WA DAMA applies to all Western Australian Regions that are not covered under Region specific DAMAs. Exmouth employers can therefore engage employees under the WA DAMA, which includes many occupations applicable to Exmouth.
After providing the above information to some Exmouth CCI members, they are currently in the process of engaging new employees under the WA DAMA.
Want More Information?
If you are looking for more information about DAMAs then follow this link HERE. This page includes the ability to search for specific occupations and visa types covered by WA DAMA (bottom of the page).
In addition, we are currently working with the Department of Training and Workforce Development, and with Home Affairs, to provide a DAMA Workshop in Exmouth, providing you the opportunity to learn more, to ask any questions you have, and to provide an opportunity to provide feedback on Exmouth specific requirements. Unfortunately, with the State Government in Caretaker Mode, this Workshop will not occur until after the election on March 8, 2025.
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