12 June 20226
The Goldfields Designated Area Migration Agreement expires on 30 June 2026. Mining employers in the Kalgoorlie-Boulder region who rely on DAMA-sponsored workers to fill crew shortages have a 18-day window to transition to the new state-wide WA DAMA framework. Employers who miss the transition risk a gap in their ability to sponsor overseas workers for roles the domestic labour market cannot fill.
What is changing
The Goldfields DAMA was a regional agreement between the Australian Government and the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder, designed to give employers in the Goldfields access to overseas workers in occupations experiencing persistent local shortages. Mining-related roles covered by the agreement included earth moving plant operators, heavy diesel mechanics, drillers, shot firers, truck drivers, scaffolders, and a range of technical and trade positions that underpin exploration and production operations.
The agreement ends on 30 June 2026. From 1 July, all new endorsement applications for employers in the Goldfields will be assessed by the Department of Training and Workforce Development under the broader WA DAMA framework.
Key dates for the transition:
- 5 June 2026: Last day endorsements could be issued under the Goldfields DAMA.
- 8 June 2026: Goldfields employers can submit new applications under the WA DAMA.
- 1 July 2026: All endorsement assessments shift to Migration Services within the Department of Training and Workforce Development.
Existing Goldfields DAMA labour agreements remain valid for their full term, typically up to five years. Current visa holders are unaffected. The transition applies to new applications and new sponsorships from 1 July onward.
Why this matters for mining operations
The Goldfields is one of Australia's most workforce-constrained mining regions. The combination of remote location, high demand for experienced operators, and competition from Pilbara and other WA mining hubs creates persistent shortages in roles that keep drill programmes, processing plants, and mine sites operational.
The DAMA pathway has been a structural part of how Goldfields employers fill these gaps. The concessions available under DAMA — lower English language requirements, age concessions up to 55 for permanent residency pathways, and reduced work experience thresholds — made it possible to sponsor workers who would not qualify under standard Skills in Demand visa streams. Losing access to those concessions, even temporarily, creates operational risk for employers who depend on them.
The WA DAMA is designed to provide continuity. Most Goldfields occupations are expected to carry over into the state-wide framework, and Goldfields employers are guaranteed at least 500 places per program year. But the administrative pathway is different. The endorsing body changes, the application process changes, and the assessment criteria may differ in detail.
The broader workforce context
The Goldfields DAMA transition is happening against a backdrop of deepening workforce shortages across Australian mining. Geologists are on the Core Skills Occupation List under the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482). The Australian Academy of Science has flagged a geoscience capability gap by 2035, driven by declining university enrolments, programme closures, and an ageing workforce where up to a third of experienced geoscientists are within a decade of retirement.
The domestic pipeline for mining professionals is not keeping pace with industry demand. The reliance on skilled migration is structural, not cyclical. For Goldfields employers specifically, the loss of a functioning DAMA pathway — even for a few weeks during the transition — means roles go unfilled at a time when every available worker has competing offers from operations across WA.
What employers should do now
The practical steps are straightforward but time-sensitive:
1. Review current DAMA labour agreements. Existing agreements remain valid. No action is needed for workers already sponsored under the Goldfields DAMA.
2. Identify roles that will need new sponsorship from 1 July onward. These are the roles that need to be mapped to the WA DAMA occupation list.
3. Submit applications under the WA DAMA via the Migration WA portal. Applications have been open since 8 June.
4. Contact Migration Services at the Department of Training and Workforce Development for guidance on the new endorsement process.
The employers who have already mapped their workforce pipeline to the new framework will keep hiring without interruption. The employers still working out what changed will lose candidates to the ones who moved first.
At Norwest Exploration and Mining Services, we specialise in rapid deployment of geologists and field technicians into active programmes across Australia. Whether you need one person or a full field crew, we place the right people fast.