Two Bunbury businesses will end this year in very different positions. The first already holds a South West DAMA labour agreement. As a result, it keeps the concessions it negotiated for the full term. The second is still deciding. That business has until Friday 30 October 2026.
The Shire of Dardanup runs the South West DAMA as Designated Area Representative, or DAR. It has confirmed that Home Affairs will not renew the agreement. We checked every term below on the Shire’s own pages and documents on 21 September 2026.
What an approved agreement keeps
The head agreement expires on 14 December 2026. However that date ends the framework, not your own instrument.
The DAR is clear on three points. First, existing labour agreement terms run for the full duration of that agreement. Second, visa conditions stay unchanged for the duration of the visa. Finally, permanent residence pathways remain available for workers who need them.
So the prize for acting now is not a visa. Instead it is a labour agreement carrying concessions that the replacement arrangement may not match.
Six weeks, and what has to happen inside them
Two things stop on 30 October. New endorsement applications close. Variation requests from existing agreement holders close on the same day.
Endorsement is only step one of four. Next you request a labour agreement from Home Affairs. Nomination and the visa application come after that. Importantly, neither of those steps is caught by the October date.
That distinction matters for your advertising. The DAR wants a domestic recruitment summary with the endorsement application. It covers the last twelve months. In it you list where you advertised, how many people applied, and why each was unsuccessful.
Home Affairs then applies the stricter test at nomination. Under the labour agreement stream, a Category 2 location may rely on older testing. Specifically, the advertising can date back twelve months before lodgement. Even so, it must meet the standard program: at least two advertisements, each running four weeks.
Consequently, ads you ran in the past year can still carry a nomination in 2027. Your October task is the endorsement file, not a fresh advertising campaign.
The concessions you are locking in
Concessions are never automatic. Instead, you must build a business case for each occupation and each concession you seek. In addition, not every occupation on the list carries every concession.
| Item | South West DAMA position, checked 21 September 2026 |
|---|---|
| Region | 12 local government areas, Bunbury and Busselton through to Manjimup and Nannup |
| Occupations | 127 on the DAR list, including two outside ANZSCO: Bar Attendant (Supervisor) and Waiter (Supervisor) |
| Salary, Type 1 | At least 90 per cent of the current TSMIT, on 68 of the 127 occupations |
| Salary, Type 2 | Reduced TSMIT plus non-monetary earnings, such as food and board, capped at 10 per cent of TSMIT |
| English, 482 and 494 | Average IELTS 5.0 with no minimum component score, on 64 occupations |
| English, 186 | No concession: the standard requirement applies |
| Age | 55 for skill levels 1 to 4, covering 109 occupations; 50 for skill level 5, covering 18 |
| Endorsement fee | $290 for each position nominated |
Now the salary arithmetic. TSMIT and CSIT both sit at $79,423 from 1 July 2026. Therefore 90 per cent of that is about $71,481 on our calculation.
That floor is not the wage, though. You must still pay the award or the local market rate, whichever is higher. Likewise, registration and licensing rules override the English concession.
What the $290 buys, and the charges behind it
The DAR fee covers assessment of one position. Endorsement itself can run for up to five years. However the occupations and numbers approved cover the first year only. So you reapply each year for new workers.
Commonwealth charges then follow. Sponsorship costs $420 and a 482 nomination costs $330. Meanwhile the 482 visa charge starts from $4,015 for the main applicant. A later 186 nomination costs $540, and the 186 visa charge starts from $6,140.
Besides those, the Skilling Australians Fund levy applies. For a 482 it runs at $1,200 or $1,800 for each year of sponsorship, depending on turnover. For a 186 it is a single payment of $3,000 or $5,000.
Before any of that, the DAR checks the business itself. You must have traded in the region for at least twelve months and be financially viable. In addition, the worker must be a full-time direct employee. They must also live and work inside the designated area. Labour hire arrangements do not qualify.
One variation a year, and none in the first six months
The DAR has asked sponsors to limit variation requests to one a year. Home Affairs has also said it will not vary an agreement within its first six months.
Read that alongside the closing date and a planning point appears. An agreement approved late this year cannot be varied before mid 2027. By then, the DAR will no longer accept variation requests at all.
Therefore scope your positions for the next twelve months now. List every occupation you might realistically need, not only the vacancy in front of you.
After 30 October: the state-wide agreement
The DAR says it is working with Home Affairs and the WA State DAMA team. That team sits at the Department of Training and Workforce Development. Their stated aim is a smooth transition to the WA DAMA.
However that agreement covers the state rather than the twelve shires and cities. Its occupation list and concessions are its own. So treat it as a different product. Our note on which WA DAMA to check first sets out the order to work through.
If the structure is new to you, start with what a DAMA actually is. Meanwhile our employer sponsorship page covers the mainstream routes beside it.
The permanent residence pathway
Every occupation on the South West list carries a permanent pathway. Since August 2024, a worker may apply for the 186 after two years. Those two years must be spent holding a 482 granted under this DAMA.
A 494 holder takes a different route. They can apply for the 191 independently after three years. For the wider picture, see how DAMA concessions reopen permanent residence for older workers.
Because those pathways survive the closure, a 482 granted in 2027 still leads somewhere. The agreement behind it simply stops accepting new entrants.
Frequently asked questions
We have an endorsement letter but no labour agreement yet. Does 30 October still apply to us?
The October date closes new applications and variation requests at the DAR. However the head agreement expiry on 14 December drives the processing timetable. So speak to the Shire of Dardanup about your file.
Our agreement was approved in August. Can we add positions now?
Not immediately. Home Affairs will not vary an agreement in its first six months. Since variation requests close on 30 October, plan on the positions you already hold.
Our worker holds a 482 granted under this DAMA. Does the December expiry shorten their visa?
No. The DAR states that visa conditions remain unchanged for the duration of the visa. Moreover the permanent pathway stays open.
Do our job advertisements have to be finished before 30 October?
Not for the endorsement itself. Testing supports the nomination instead. In a Category 2 labour agreement, that nomination can rely on advertising from the previous twelve months.
Is the WA state-wide DAMA a drop-in replacement for the South West list?
No. Instead it is a separate agreement with its own occupations and concessions. Check your roles against that list before you assume the concessions carry over.
This article is general information only, current at 21 September 2026. It is not legal advice and does not address your circumstances. DAMA terms and Commonwealth charges change, so seek tailored advice before you act.