A union has voted to pay for a Syrian refugee family's transport to Australia and cover its accommodation and resettlement costs for the next 12 months.

The Queensland Branch of the Maritime Union of Australia agreed to the motion at an extended meeting in Brisbane this week, saying its members felt compelled to act.

Syrian refugees sit outside their tents in Lebanon. Credit:Bilal Hussein

"We want to help at least one family escape the horrors of the refugee crisis," branch secretary Bob Carnegie said.

"We are all human beings in this world and we simply can't stand by in a wealthy and safe society such as Australia and not reach out to try to assist those who have the least in this world."