The South West will be the eighth region in Australia to enter a five-year agreement with the Commonwealth aimed at ensuring skilled migrants contribute through employment in key roles where Australian workers are not available.
The Shire of Dardanup will administer the process for accessing the South West DAMA which will be open to businesses operating in any of the 12 local governments areas covered by the agreement. Local businesses can apply individually to access the DAMA from 2022.
Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs Minister Alex Hawke said the Federal Government has been listening to the needs of business and the community.
In this update,
The DAMA will allow approved businesses to employ overseas workers in skilled positions where jobs cannot be filled by Australian workers.
To summarize the message of by Hon Alex Hawke: “The South West has a high unemployment rate and is experiencing significant labour shortages. The DAMA will help businesses fill those vacancies and contribute to the local economy”
“This agreement has been developed in close consultation with industry and community leaders, ensuring it is fit for purpose for the South West region.”
Under the agreement, employers must offer jobs to local workers first before recruiting overseas labour. Employers must also ensure that overseas workers are not employed in occupations for which there is an oversupply of local labour or where wages are depressed. Employers with existing employees on a DAMA will be allowed to bring in new employees at the same rate of pay as those already employed.
The DAMA requires employers to provide training, English language tuition and accommodation to overseas workers. Employers will also be required to advertise jobs locally, although there are exemptions for some jobs that cannot be advertised locally for reasons including distance or time constraints.
The DAMA does not remove employers’ obligations to meet all other legal obligations under the Fair Work Act, including payment of award wages and entitlements.
For more information about how DAMA works, you can read this article.
