Warrnambool mayor Tony Herbert said the federal government’s decision to enter into a new five-year visa agreement with the council, which will allow the region to attract skilled workers, was a tremendous initiative.

“We’re thrilled to have a Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA) in place and to be an ‘early adopter’ of this employment solution,” Cr Herbert said.

“And of course being also a pathway to possible permanent residency makes this a very attractive proposition for prospective workers and for the population growth of our region.

“Importantly the DAMA is a bespoke arrangement for our region and addresses our particular skill shortages.

“People should also be reassured that every effort is required to be made to fill vacancies locally before the DAMA is used to attract skilled workers from outside the region,” Cr Herbert said.

The agreement will help key agriculture, hospitality and other businesses in the Great South Coast region fill critical employment gaps by providing them access to a broader range of overseas workers than is available through the standard skilled migration programs.

The Great South Coast region will be among the first in Australia to enter into a five-year agreement with the federal government for a DAMA.

Only one other DAMA is in place across the country, with the Northern Territory having signed up in 2015.

United Dairyfarmers of Victoria policy councillor and Koroit dairy farmer Oonagh Kilpatrick said making the south-west a DAMA area was a real “kick start” for the dairy industry.

Mrs Kilpatrick said getting more workers from overseas would help dairy farms invest more.

“For every dollar invested by dairy farms, it generates another $5 for the local economy,” she said.

She thanked the federal immigration minister and his immediate predecessor as well as Federal Member for Wannon Dan Tehan and Member for South West Coast Roma Britnell who had lobbied hard for the initiative.

Federal Immigration Minister David Coleman said the federal government was committed to supporting the skills needs of regional Australia where Australian workers were not available to fill those jobs.

“The government is working to improve our immigration program to better match the needs of specific locations,” Mr Coleman said. 

“In particular, we are looking closely at ways of filling employment gaps in regional areas. The Great South Coast region has been calling out for workers for some time.”

Federal Member for Wannon Dan Tehan said employers and communities throughout Glenelg, Moyne, Warrnambool, Corangamite, Colac-Otway and Southern Grampians shires had been searching for the workers that will help the region grow.

“Earlier this year, our councils took a delegation to Canberra reinforcing what our employers have been saying about the need for workers to help them, and our region, to grow.

“The Morrison Government has listened, and now we will deliver an agreement suited to the needs of our local communities. Crucially local workers will always come first,” Mr Tehan said.