Garth Hamilton (Groom, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's Refugee Week, and my region is a very welcoming place. No matter your background, if you come to live with us you'll find a community, and more—you'll find a home.

There is no better example of this than the hundreds of Sudanese and, more recently, Yazidi people who've come to make a home for themselves amongst us in the Toowoomba region. Our efforts in safely settling these families saw us proclaimed a Refugee Welcome Zone in 2013, and we've grown to become the third-largest refugee resettlement area in all of Queensland.

This is, once again, Toowoomba acting as a leading light for other regional communities, as we have with our economic recovery, and it's a story I want to share this Refugee Week. It's a story that's made possible by this government working hand in hand with our council, community organisations and churches, who form a crucial part of our new arrivals' support network.

Mayor Paul Antonio joined me here in Canberra this week to continue that collaboration, sharing with Minister Alex Hawke the challenges currently facing the Yazidi people as they adjust to life in Australia. He also spoke about the emerging situation where former refugees are choosing to move to the Toowoomba region from where they originally settled, to be closer to family and to access the services and supports that we've become well known for—the supports that can help people to learn English, to integrate with the broader community and to contribute to our economic growth through meaningful employment.

I'm proud that we've fostered this reputation. I'm proud that we're a city of choice for those refugees. And I want to congratulate our community on being such a welcoming place.