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Great South Coast Designated Area Migration Agreement

Sponsor Skilled and Semi-Skilled Workers Across the Great South Coast

If your business in Victoria's Great South Coast is facing a skills shortage it cannot fill locally, the GSC DAMA gives you access to a broader occupation list and concessions on standard visa requirements across the region. At Australian Migration Lawyers, we guide Great South Coast employers through the DAMA process, from endorsement through to visa grant.

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Overview

A Regional Agreement Spanning Six Council Areas

The GSC DAMA is a labour agreement between the Australian Government and Warrnambool City Council, covering six local government areas across Victoria's Great South Coast: Warrnambool City Council, Glenelg Shire, Southern Grampians Shire, Moyne Shire, Corangamite Shire, and Colac-Otway Shire. It gives eligible employers access to overseas workers where a genuine need exists across skilled and semi-skilled occupations, spanning industries such as agriculture, health, hospitality, and trades.

An occupation is not automatically eligible under this DAMA if it is already covered by an Industry Labour Agreement. From 26 March 2026, where this is the case, the occupation can only be endorsed under the GSC DAMA if the overseas worker will be employed in an industry different from the one the Industry Labour Agreement covers, otherwise, the business must use that Industry Labour Agreement pathway instead.

Who Administers This DAMA

The Designated Area Representative (DAR) for the GSC DAMA is Warrnambool City Council. Employers are encouraged to discuss their proposal with their local council for a preliminary eligibility check before lodging a formal Request for Endorsement. Endorsement from the DAR does not guarantee that the Department of Home Affairs will approve the subsequent labour agreement or visa.

Who This DAMA Is For

This DAMA is for employers, not individual workers. A worker cannot apply for a DAMA labour agreement independently and must have a genuine job offer from a business that already holds, or is seeking, endorsement under this DAMA.

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Eligibility for Employers

To be endorsed by Warrnambool City Council for the GSC DAMA, a business must demonstrate:

Financial viability and lawful operation within the designated area for the required period

A genuine full-time vacancy located within the designated area

That the position cannot be filled locally with an Australian citizen or permanent resident

Employment terms and conditions that are reasonable, lawful, and no less favourable than those offered to an Australian performing equivalent work

Pay and conditions that meet the standard salary threshold, or the specific concession available for that occupation

An understanding of sponsor obligations under the Migration Legislation, including that costs cannot be recovered from the sponsored worker

Eligibility for Skilled Workers

To be sponsored under the GSC DAMA, a worker generally needs:

A genuine, full-time job offer from a business that holds, or is actively seeking, DAR endorsement for this DAMA

An occupation listed on the current GSC DAMA Approved Occupations list

Skills, qualifications, and experience matching the nominated occupation's requirements, including a skills concession for some occupations where specified

English language test results meeting the standard visa requirement, or the concession available for the specific occupation

Health and character clearances

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Occupation List and Concessions

The GSC DAMA Approved Occupations list currently covers 113 occupations, spanning a broad range of skilled and semi-skilled roles across the region. For each endorsed occupation, the DAR specifies in the endorsement letter which salary concession type, if any, and English language concession, if any, applies. Request the current, full list directly from Warrnambool City Council, or contact us and we can confirm your occupation's current status.

Age, English, and Salary Concessions

Age, English language, and salary concessions under the GSC DAMA are set per occupation rather than as a single flat rule across the whole agreement. The DAR confirms the specific concessions that apply, if any, in the endorsement letter for each occupation. Request the current Approved Occupations list directly from Warrnambool City Council, or contact us and we can confirm the specific concessions that apply to your occupation.
Where a salary concession is not available or not sought, the pay and conditions offered must meet the standard Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold, currently $79,423 for nominations lodged between 1 July 2026 and 30 June 2027.
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DAR Endorsement

From 1 July 2026, the endorsement fee is $850 excluding GST per worker nominated for businesses with an annual turnover under $10 million, or $1,000 excluding GST per worker nominated for businesses with turnover of $10 million or more. Applications lodged before 1 July 2026 are assessed under the previous fee. Payment is required before the DAR will assess the application, and a tax invoice is issued on receipt.

The GSC DAR endeavours to complete the endorsement process within 7 to 10 working days, where the application is complete. Incomplete applications take longer, and the Department of Home Affairs determines its own separate processing time for the labour agreement stage.

How the Process Works for This DAMA

1

DAR Endorsement

The employer completes the Request for Endorsement Form and submits it with the required supporting documentation and endorsement fee to Warrnambool City Council, either by email or in hardcopy.

2

Labour Agreement

Once endorsed, the employer applies to the Department of Home Affairs for a GSC DAMA labour agreement, attaching supporting documents including the letter of endorsement.

3

Nomination and Visa Application

The employer nominates specific workers against the approved occupations and positions, and the worker applies for their Subclass 482, 494, or 186 visa.

4

Subsequent Year Endorsement and Variations

Initial endorsement covers occupation types and worker numbers for the first year only, though endorsement itself can be granted for up to five years to support forward workforce planning. Where a business needs additional workers or new occupations beyond its approved endorsement, it applies to the DAR for a variation using the Request for Endorsement Subsequent Year, Deed of Variation form.

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Pathway to Permanent Residency

Eligible occupations under the GSC DAMA offer a pathway to permanent residency through the Subclass 186 (Employer Nomination Scheme) or Subclass 494 to Subclass 191 route. To be nominated for the Subclass 186, a worker must have held a Subclass 482 (Skills in Demand) visa granted under the GSC DAMA for 3 years, the standard federal timeframe. This DAMA does not currently offer a shortened pathway.

For Skill Level 1 to 4 occupations, the worker must be under 55 at the time of the Subclass 186 nomination, meaning under 52 when first granted the Subclass 482 visa, to allow for the 3-year wait. For Skill Level 5 occupations, the worker must be under 50 at nomination, so under 47 at initial grant.

Talk to Our Migration Lawyers About the GSC DAMA

If your business operates in the Great South Coast region and has a genuine skills shortage it cannot fill locally, our migration lawyers can confirm whether the GSC DAMA applies to you and guide you through endorsement, labour agreement, and visa stages.

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Our office brings nationally recognised immigration law expertise directly to the clients. Every award listed below was earned through independent assessment, including peer review, client feedback, and workplace audits. When you work with our immigration lawyers, you are working with a firm whose quality has been verified from the outside.

2027
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Best Lawyers
Best Law Firms Australia

Australian Migration Lawyers is ranked in the 2027 Best Law Firms - Australia edition by Best Lawyers. Firm rankings are determined through client feedback, peer nominations, and overall market reputation. Inclusion confirms the firm delivers top-tier legal services in immigration law at a national level.

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2027
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Best Lawyers
Best Lawyers in Australia™ Immigration Law

Perry Q. Wood is recognised in the 2027 Best Lawyers in Australia™ edition for Immigration Law. This ranking is awarded exclusively through confidential peer review by senior lawyers in the same practice area. It is the leading global legal directory benchmark.

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2026
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Doyle's Guide
Leading Immigration Law

Perry Q. Wood is ranked as a Leading Immigration Lawyer in Victoria in Doyle's Guide 2026. Four consecutive years of inclusion in Doyle's Guide establishes a verified, long-term record of excellence and peer recognition in Australian immigration law.

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Frequently Asked Questions

It is a labour agreement between the Australian Government and Warrnambool City Council, covering six local government areas across Victoria's Great South Coast, allowing endorsed employers to sponsor overseas workers in occupations experiencing genuine skill and labour shortages.

Warrnambool City Council, Glenelg Shire, Southern Grampians Shire, Moyne Shire, Corangamite Shire, and Colac-Otway Shire.

Warrnambool City Council administers endorsement for the GSC DAMA.

From 1 July 2026, $850 excluding GST per worker nominated for businesses with turnover under $10 million, or $1,000 excluding GST for businesses at or above that threshold.

Generally no, unless the overseas worker will be employed in a different industry from the one the Industry Labour Agreement covers. Otherwise, the Industry Labour Agreement pathway must be used instead.

This page provides general legal information, not legal advice, and doesn't take into account your individual circumstances. If your situation is time-sensitive, we'd encourage you to book a consultation with our team as soon as possible to get advice specific to you.

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