AUSTRALIA is in the grip of its biggest baby boom - a record 293,600 babies were born last year, 11,400 more than the year before. Roughly one third - 94,700 - were born in NSW, where births are rising faster than in any state other than Western Australia, increasing 5.8 per cent between 2007 and 2008, compared to the national increase of 4 per cent. Births in Western Australia jumped an extraordinary 9.2 per cent.
"It has taken people by surprise," said an Australian National University demographer, Peter McDonald. "It's putting strain on schools, childcare centres and maternity wards at the same time as our population is ageing."
Women aged 30 to 34 led the way, producing 128 babies per 1000 - more than any other age group, and the highest rate since 1961. Women aged 35 to 39 produced more babies per 1000 than at any time since 1948.
Last night a federal Labor backbencher, Kelvin Thompson, launched a 14-point plan to contain what he called Australia's ''runaway population''.
Among the measures was reducing the annual immigration program from more than 200,000 to 70,000, abolishing the baby bonus, and restricting family benefits for third and subsequent children.
Source: SMH, Oh Baby, November 12, 2009
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