Canberra's refugee support services believe the ACT community is willing and able to support hundreds of Syrian refugees after the government boosted its humanitarian intake by 12,000 places.
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As the federal government makes plans for refugee settlements across the states and territories, Chief Minister Andrew Barr and Multicultural Affairs Minister Yvette Berry are continuing to work in consultation with their federal counterparts.
The arrival of the newest Australians would require accommodation, food, social services, health and education.
Canberra Refugee Support president Geoff McPherson said discussions had already started about the role support groups could play in the resettlement process in the ACT.
"Over the coming weeks we fully expect to be engaged and helping lay out broad plans and make sure that various services are ready to roll," he said.
"Like all regional centres I fully expect that we will accept a dispersion of the new group as we have done in the past, knowing that we have a range of community groups who have worked together to resettle refugees."
Mr McPherson said the about-12,000 figure was realistic and the ACT has successfully accepted hundreds of refugees and asylum seekers on a permanent basis in recent years.
In 1999, a number of families from Kosovo came to Canberra. The ACT government declared Canberra "a refugee welcome zone" in June.
"In terms of numbers there are no alarm bells going off in my head saying we are being too generous as there is a lot of capacity in our community," Mr McPherson said.
Companion House director Kathy Ragless had no doubt the Syrian asylum seekers would be welcomed into the Canberra community although there were practicalities to consider.
"In many ways the Canberra community is a wonderful place to resettle although there isn't the amount of affordable housing stock here as in other cities."
Dewani Bakkum, chief executive of ACT Migrant and Refugee Resettlement Services, said 12,000 refugees would bring experiences and skills that could contribute to Australia.
"Initial support from humanitarian settlement services will allow them to become our future neighbours, colleagues and friends," she said.
In the past year, Ms Bakkum's organisation has successfully resettled 130 refugees in the ACT.
The ACT takes just a fraction of the country's refugees every year; 0.8 per cent of the total from 2012-2013 according to Australian Refugee Council figures.
Mr McPherson said Canberra's experience in resettling refugees after the conflict in Kosovo proved the migration program could be successful.
"I mean we do it every day, so to speak, because we currently are receiving into the ACT some hundreds of asylum seekers and refugees on a permanent basis," he said.
