The federal government won't say where 12,000 Syrian and Iraqi refugees have been resettled in Australia, despite local governments warning their municipalities are at risk of being overburdened by new arrivals.

Assistant Minister for Social Services and Multicultural Affairs Zed Seselja said on Tuesday Australia was doing "more than our bit" in resettling vulnerable people but exact location figures would not be released on where new arrivals had settled.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and ACT Liberal senator Zed Seselja. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

The comments follow criticism from the mayor of Fairfield in south-west Sydney, Frank Carbone, who said more infrastructure funding and assistance for resettled refugees who are unable to work was needed.

Senator Seselja said Australia should be very proud of its record in accepting an increasing number of humanitarian visa arrivals, including the 12,000 persecuted minorities from Syria and Iraq, and spending more than $1 billion on settlement services over five years.