Prime Minister Tony Abbott has announced Australia will take on 12,000 refugees, as millions flee conflict in Syria.

It means that several Australian states will get to fulfil recent pledges to welcome the displaced masses.

New South Wales Premier Mike Baird responded earlier this week to Labor’s call for 10,000 more refugee places to be created.

Mr Baird said his state could accept at least that figure.

“How do you know it is just 10,000? How do you know it shouldn't be more?” he said on the ABC’s Q&A program.

“It is very simple to put a number up but what can we actually do and can we do more than that? Who is to say we can't do more?

“You have seen it from premiers of all different political persuasions, all types of different community groups saying we have to help.”

Meanwhile, the Victorian Government says military barracks like the Puckapunyal army base could temporarily house people fleeing the conflict in Syria.

“We're all agreed that Australia and Victoria should do more... we stand ready to do the right thing,” Andrews said.

“There'll be a whole range of different options, whether it be military facilities, for instance the Puckapunyal army base.

“I think you want to look at places where there are services there already.”

Several West Australian country towns and religious groups say they are willing to take in refugees too, pledging to provide jobs and support.

O'Connor MP Rick Wilson said country towns like Katanning and Albany would open their doors.

“All over the electorate there are country towns crying out for more people,” Mr Wilson, from Katanning, said.

Premier Colin Barnett says WA could and should take in an extra 1,000 refugees.

“We're here to help,” he said.

“We've got the facilities on the ground, we've got the health services, we've got the education services, all the support agencies. So bring them in and we'll look after them.

“I think Australians want that, this is a humanitarian tragedy.

“The scenes that have been played out in Europe have been devastating and so I think all West Australians would agree that we can do our bit.”

In Tasmania, the Government wants to accept up to 500 asylum seekers from the additional intake, but says it does not have the resources.

The Parliamentary Secretary to the Premier, Guy Barnett, said the State Government has confirmed with the Federal Government that it is prepared to take up to 500 extra people on the newly-created Safe Haven Enterprise Visas (SHEV), subject to financial support.

In a statement, Deputy Premier Jeremy Rockliff said to support the SHEV arrangements, the Tasmanian Government was willing to invest up to $1.2 million over four years.