Northern mayors welcome regional settlement plan but call for careful planning and job opportunities THE mayor of north Queensland's unofficial capital has warned an influx of migrants could create "ghettos" without the necessary employment ­opportunities. Townsville City Council Mayor Jenny Hill yesterday backed a plan being discussed between the Newman and Abbott governments to funnel migrants into regional Queensland centres but insisted it needed to be carefully set up. Migrants, guess where you'll live? 300+ comments OPINION: So glad I had to migrate to the regions Townsville City Council Mayor Jenny Hill says she welcomes a plan to bring more people to the area but wouldn't like to see locals out of jobs as a result. Picture: Zak Simmonds "People are talking about doubling our population over the next 10 years," Cr Hill said. So that's fine, I think we could cope with that growth. But you want to make sure there are employment opportunities here not just for migrants but for locals so there is not that friction. The Courier-Mail yesterday revealed Premier Campbell Newman had kicked off discussions with his federal counterparts about a scheme to require Queensland-bound immigrants to settle in regional centres such as Townsville, Cairns and Rockhampton. Will the plan work? Tell us what you think below. Similar schemes to obtain permanent residency already exist within the Department of Immigration but they are based around skills demand and low-growth areas. Cairns Regional Council Mayor Bob Manning said he was not "jumping up and down" about the proposal, saying if the city was going to be "burdened" with extra migrants it deserved compensation. "There needs to be some offsetting financing of this," he said. There are two sides of every equation and one of them is money. However, Rockhampton Mayor Margaret Strelow said her city was aiming for 10 per cent growth within two years and had the infrastructure capacity to welcome migrants. "We are already well-known as a friendly city that has settled quite a few refugees and immigrants," she said. Local Government Minister David Crisafulli said the "nuts and bolts" of the proposal were being developed, however the Newman Government was committed to delivering infrastructure in regional cities "ahead of the game." "It's got to come with jobs, it's got to come with employment, it's got to come with people who are willing to move into an area and become part of that community," he said. But it is achievable.