Proud Sponsor of the Western Division Councils NSW Annual Conference

Regional Development Australia (RDA) Orana is proud to be a sponsor of the upcoming Western Division Councils of NSW Annual Conference, to be hosted by Cobar Shire Council from 9-11 August 2023.

The Western Division covers 42% of the state representing more than 53,000 outback residents and generating over $1 billion in economic activity every year. There are an estimated 240 jobs currently available in the Western Division that can’t be filled in many industries including in the resources, health and education sectors.

RDA Orana Chair, Brad Cam, will be speaking to conference delegates about the work RDA Orana undertakes regarding migration and filling skilled labour shortages in the region.

One of the major roles RDA Orana plays within the region is supporting the Australian Government by being a regional certifying body for migrant visas and processing migrant 491, 494 and Orana Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA) visas.

RDA Orana is the only region in the state to hold a DAMA agreement, which isn’t about promoting migrant employment instead of local employment but about supplementing the local workforce in response to the skills shortages in the area. The Orana DAMA allows local employers to employ skilled migrants where needed, bringing valuable skillsets and uniqueperspectives to the workforce.

The Western Division is an important stakeholder within the RDA Orana region representing a number of local government areas covered by the organisation.