DAMA · New South Wales · Established 2019 (Australia’s first NSW regional DAMA)
Orana (Dubbo region) Designated Area Migration Agreement
The Orana DAMA covers the Dubbo region and 12 surrounding LGAs in central-west NSW. It was Australia’s first NSW regional DAMA, signed in 2019, and targets the agricultural, care, hospitality and trades workforce gaps in inland NSW.
★Key takeaways
- ✓Orana (Dubbo region) DAMA was established 2019 (Australia’s first NSW regional DAMA) and is administered by Regional Development Australia Orana.
- ✓Occupation list includes 10+ roles with TSMIT and English concessions not available on standard 482 Core stream.
- ✓Employer geographic trigger: Employer must be located in one of the Orana region LGAs: Bogan, Bourke, Brewarrina, Cobar, Coonamble, Dubbo Regional, Gilgandra, Mid-Western Regional, Narromine, Walgett, Warren, Warrumbungle, Coolah...
- ✓PR pathway: 186 Direct Entry stream under the Labour Agreement pathway after 3 years on the 482.
- ✓Cite all DAMA pathway numbers against Regional Development Australia Orana’s current published occupation list – concessions and occupations are reviewed periodically.
At a glance
Agreement holder
Regional Development Australia Orana
Geographic trigger
Employer must be located in one of the Orana region LGAs: Bogan, Bourke, Brewarrina, Cobar, Coonamble, Dubbo Regional, Gilgandra, Mid-Western Regional, Narromine, Walgett, Warren, Warrumbungle, Coolah-Cassilis area, Coonabarabran
PR pathway
186 Direct Entry stream under the Labour Agreement pathway after 3 years on the 482
Occupations covered
10+ across mining, trades, hospitality, care and professional services
Top concession occupations
10 representative occupations
A sample of the 10+ occupations on the Orana (Dubbo region) DAMA. The full current list is published by the agreement holder and is reviewed periodically.
Source: Regional Development Australia Orana DAMA occupation list →
Concessions summary
What the DAMA actually changes
| Concession | Orana (Dubbo region) DAMA |
|---|---|
| TSMIT | Up to 10% concession on TSMIT for selected occupations |
| English | IELTS 5.0 each band for skilled occupations; 4.5 for selected semi-skilled |
| Age (PR pathway) | PR pathway: age cap raised to 55 for selected occupations |
| Work experience and skills | Reduced work experience to 2 years |
Concessions are set out in the agreement between the Commonwealth and the agreement holder and can change at agreement renewal. Always confirm against the current published agreement.
In depth
How the Orana (Dubbo region) DAMA actually works
Dubbo is the regional centre for an enormous inland NSW catchment running from the Liverpool Plains to the QLD border. Agriculture (broadacre grain, beef, sheep), trades and care services dominate the local economy. The Orana DAMA was Australia’s first regional DAMA in NSW and remains the only one for several years until other NSW regions started exploring agreements.
Aged care worker and disability support worker are heavily-used concession occupations. The veterinary workforce shortage in inland NSW has also been pressing – veterinarian sits on the standard MLTSSL but the DAMA concessions sometimes make a difference for younger or less-experienced applicants.
PR pathway is the standard 186 Labour Agreement after 3 years. RDA Orana endorses applications before Home Affairs SBS lodgement.
Employer obligations
- Employer must be located within the agreement region (see geographic trigger above).
- Obtain agreement holder endorsement before lodging a Standard Business Sponsorship (SBS) application with Home Affairs.
- Demonstrate local labour market testing (LMT) was carried out and a local hire was not available.
- Pay the Skilling Australians Fund (SAF) levy on nomination: $1,200/year (small business under $10m turnover) or $1,800/year (larger employers).
- Pay at or above the agreement’s salary floor (cannot use DAMA concession to push salary below the agreement minimum).
- Do not recover any sponsorship or migration agent costs from the worker (this is a strict sponsor obligation).
Common questions
Orana (Dubbo region) DAMA – common questions
Does the Orana DAMA cover Bathurst?
No. Bathurst is in the Central West region of NSW, not the Orana. Orana covers the inland LGAs from Dubbo north to the QLD border. No Bathurst-specific DAMA exists as at January 2026.
Can a Cobar mining employer use this DAMA?
Yes. Cobar is in the Orana region. Mining-related trades and engineering occupations are on the agreement list.
Are there childcare concessions?
Yes. Childcare educator is on the Orana DAMA with TSMIT and English concessions. Childcare staffing has been a structural shortage across inland NSW since 2020.
Does Dubbo have other migration pathways?
Yes – Dubbo is in a designated regional area for 491 (Skilled Work Regional) and 494 (Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional). The DAMA, 491 and 494 are independent pathways that can apply to different applicants with different profiles. A migration agent can advise which is best for a given case.
Other DAMA regions