South Australia signs two DAMA deals

The Australian and South Australia governments have finalised two Designated Area Migration Agreements (DAMA) for the state.

South Australia joins the Northern Territory, Victoria’s Great South Coast region, Kalgoorlie-Boulder and the Orana region in New South Wales among the first in Australia to enter a five-year agreement enabling designated regions to respond to their unique circumstances.

The Adelaide Technology and Innovation Advancement Agreement and Regional South Australia DAMAs respond to calls for greater growth and will help ensure businesses have the workers they need.

Both South Australian agreements were signed by the Federal Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs David Coleman last Friday.

“The Morrison Government is committed to supporting the skills needs of regional Australia and has been working on tailored solutions to attract skilled migrants where Australian workers are not available to fill those jobs,” Minister Coleman said.

“We have seen a great level of interest in DAMA arrangements across Australia including the renewal of the Northern Territory DAMA. The Government will continue to work with regions around the country to ensure they can grow their local economy.”

Minister for Innovation and Skills, David Pisoni said South Australia’s two DAMAs are an important way to recognise the need to grow innovation and technology skills, whilst also looking to parts of the state with unmet skills-needs that find it hard to attract the right local workers.

“The Government continues to support initiatives that promote and develop innovation and entrepreneurship and we can now pursue targeted skilled migration to address urgent skills shortages that can’t be filled locally,” he said.

“The City Deal DAMA will provide employers with the ability to access and retain a highly-skilled workforce in the Defence, space, advanced manufacturing and technology industries and help drive the innovation hub – Future Industries Exchange for Entrepreneurs (FIXE) – at Lot Fourteen. “The Regional DAMA will enable employers in industries such as agribusiness, food processing and hospitality and tourism in regional South Australia, to sponsor skilled workers for jobs they are unable to fill with the existing workforce,” Minister Pisoni added.

Article published 8th April 2019