Townsville signs on as first North Queensland Welcoming City
Date published: 8 October 2019
Townsville is now the 40th Welcoming City in the country.
Townsville Mayor Jenny Hill has signed on to the Welcoming Cities program, which helps councils and communities become more inclusive of all newcomers to the city.
Townsville’s strong liveability attributes make the city an attractive destination for migrants, 25,574 people who were living in the Townsville City Council in 2016 were born overseas, and 20% had arrived in Australia within the 5 years prior to 2016.
Cr Hill said Council was proud to sign on to the program, as it helped establish the city as having a positive reputation.
“Townsville is more multicultural now than ever before, and this is something we should celebrate,” Cr Hill said.
“The diversity of the local community is one of the things that makes Townsville such a vibrant place to live and work.
“We want to do everything we can to welcome and support migrants who choose to make Townsville their new home.”
Cr Hill said making the commitment allowed Council to become better informed about how to support migrants into the Townsville community.
“Becoming a Welcoming City gives Council new tools to help integrate migrants into the community,” she said.
“Council is constantly looking at how it can improve the experiences of newcomers to the city, which as we know can have positive effects on our economy and society.
“Being a Welcoming City will help Council see how it’s tracking with cultural diversity and inclusivity.”
Townsville joins Brisbane, Livingstone, Balonne, Central Highlands and Toowoomba in becoming a Queensland-based Welcoming City.
For more information, visit Welcoming Cities.
