Crisis in Ukraine: Toowoomba, Balonne mayors ready to welcome Ukrainian refugees if granted by Federal Government

As the crisis in Ukraine leads to millions of people being displaced, Toowoomba’s mayor says the region is ready and willing to live up to its status as a refugee welcome zone.

A Ukrainian woman holds her 3-month-old baby at the Western Railway Station as they flee Ukraine on March 9, 2022 in Budapest, Hungary. Toowoomba and southwest Queensland has revealed it will be prepared to resettle refugees from Ukraine. (Photo by Janos Kummer/Getty Images)

Ukrainian refugees fleeing the crisis in Europe could find a home in the Darling Downs and southwest Queensland, with Toowoomba Mayor Paul Antonio indicating the region would welcome them if they were settled here by the Federal Government.

More than 1000 visas have been approved by the Department of Immigration for Ukrainian migrants, with the war displacing more than 1.5 million people within weeks.

Toowoomba has been declared a refugee welcome zone for many years and has a rich history of taking in migrants from across the globe.

Mr Antonio (left) said he planned to speak with Immigration Minister Alex Hawke to discuss an intake.

He said a key element of the plan would be to establish ties with the existing Ukrainian community in Queensland.

“Certainly we will welcome Ukrainians here, but we’ll also look to see if we can engage with the Ukrainian community here,” Mr Antonio said.

“We want to create a connection so we can begin the discussion, there’s a fair bit of work going into it and we’ll continue that work.”

Balonne Mayor Samantha O’Toole said her shire would happily welcome Ukrainian refugees.

“This is a humanitarian gesture and an opportunity for displaced families to move to a community that is very welcoming to migrants,” she said.

“Migration benefits our community enormously — we are a prosperous farming community that always needs people to help harvest our crops.

“There are plenty of permanent jobs in the Balonne Shire in farming and a wide range of other skills, from motor mechanics to computer experts.”