SA's Population Growth Hits A 14-year High

[stelaras]

thanks aseem...

[crawf]

Now this is what i wanna hear...

Our new baby boom
LOUISE TRECASSI

December 13, 2006 12:15am

A THOUSAND little South Australians have increased the state's fertility rate to its highest level in 22 years.
The Health Department's 2005-06 annual report shows the number of births in the state was 18,196 in 2005-06, up from 17,137 in 2004-05.

The report shows 17,897 women gave birth during 2005-06, while separate Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show SA's fertility rate increased from 1.765 (babies per woman) in 2004-05 to 1.818 – the highest rate since 1984.

SA's population reached 1,554,656 in 2005-06, an increase of 12,560 being the highest financial-year growth since June, 1991, according to the ABS.

Net overseas migration stands at 9495 – the highest recorded under the existing recording system, dating back to June, 1990. It is the fifth consecutive financial year of growth.

The State Government says SA is on track to meet its population aim of two million by 2050 and is more than 3000 people ahead of the projected target.

Karlene Maywald, the minister assisting Industry and Trade Minister Kevin Foley said the population results reflected "growing optimism about SA's future and the success of interstate and overseas marketing campaigns".

But Opposition population spokeswoman Vickie Chapman said SA's population growth rate of 0.8 per cent over the past year was the second lowest growth rate of all the states and territories and lower than the national average growth rate of 1.3 per cent.

Ms Chapman said SA suffered the second biggest net population loss through people moving between states, with 2900 more people leaving the state in 2005-06 than moving here. First-time mother Kristy Martin, of Glenelg North, was not surprised more women were choosing to have children.

Ms Martin gave birth to twins Harrison and Mackenzie at the Women's and Children's Hospital on Thursday.

"People are realising that it can take some time to conceive so if they leave their run too late they may miss out on something so amazing," she said.

[Ben]

Must admit I know alot of people who had previously decided they wern't going to have children are now pregnant. Seems the more affluent people are more open to having children now for some reason...

[rhino]

But Opposition population spokeswoman Vickie Chapman said SA's population growth rate of 0.8 per cent over the past year was the second lowest growth rate of all the states and territories and lower than the national average growth rate of 1.3 per cent.

But still, the rate is growing. You gotta start somewhere!

[Will]

The Liberals seem to have very short term memories. Don't they remember that when they were in government the state's population growth rate was only 0.4% and for example how in 1997 the state was only able to attract approximately 1500 immigrants.

Sure they are only playing politics, but such commets are absurd.

[bdm]

The Liberals seem to have very short term memories. Don't they remember that when they were in government the state's population growth rate was only 0.4% and for example how in 1997 the state was only able to attract approximately 1500 immigrants.

Sure they are only playing politics, but such commets are absurd.

So, only three years after they inherited the largest funds deficit (thanks to Bannon and Labor) in the state's history (and the subsequent economic/population fallout) they're expected to have fixed everything? What they managed to do afterwards was exceptional, given the circumstances.

What Labor's done in it's term of office pales in comparison to what the funds-stricken Liberals were able to do (Le Mans, se-expressway, clipsal 500, etc) - and they, for the most part, lacked the GST windfall and inherited a monetary disaster.

Post WW2, it was under the Liberals that both the state's economy and population growth rates were the highest in the nation, beating all the other states. Under Labor in the 70s, we were a social fairyland, but: Crime rates went up. Population growth stagnated. The economy failed to adapt and diversify.

I wonder how long until Labor slips up again and the Liberals have to bail us out.

People seem to have a delightfully short memory as to what Labor has done to this state.

[rhino]

People on both sides of politics seem to have short memories, that's probably only natural.

I do remember seeing John Olsen in a debate before the Libs' second term of office, and he had nothing to say except whinge about how Labor had left the state - that was his answer to every topic brought up. They were still going on about it when Labor got back into power. They blamed every one of their stuffups on trying to fix the problems Labor had caused, even after the problems were fixed and they kept selling off the farm.

But this is turning into another political mudslinging match. Our population is increasing again, it's good news.

[Will]

The Liberals seem to have very short term memories. Don't they remember that when they were in government the state's population growth rate was only 0.4% and for example how in 1997 the state was only able to attract approximately 1500 immigrants.

Sure they are only playing politics, but such commets are absurd.

So, only three years after they inherited the largest funds deficit (thanks to Bannon and Labor) in the state's history (and the subsequent economic/population fallout) they're expected to have fixed everything? What they managed to do afterwards was exceptional, given the circumstances.

What Labor's done in it's term of office pales in comparison to what the funds-stricken Liberals were able to do (Le Mans, se-expressway, clipsal 500, etc) - and they, for the most part, lacked the GST windfall and inherited a monetary disaster.

Post WW2, it was under the Liberals that both the state's economy and population growth rates were the highest in the nation, beating all the other states. Under Labor in the 70s, we were a social fairyland, but: Crime rates went up. Population growth stagnated. The economy failed to adapt and diversify.

I wonder how long until Labor slips up again and the Liberals have to bail us out.

People seem to have a delightfully short memory as to what Labor has done to this state.

So its OK for the liberals not to have fixed everything whilst they were in government, but yet you whinge constantly in this forum wanting Labor to give us 10% economic and population growth per annum.

I am certain that if we had never elected a Labor government in 2002, and we somehow (highly doubtful) managed to achieve the 0.8% population growth, you would be delighted, and not go on here screaming for more.

And seriously only neo-liberal fundamentalists would claim the SE Expressway, which is seen as a joke everywhere as a major achievement.
And why did you emntion Le Mans, it only lasted one race?

[rhino]

And why did you emntion Le Mans, it only lasted one race?

And forget to mention the Grand Prix that John Bannon got us, which lasted 11?

[bdm]

The Liberals seem to have very short term memories. Don't they remember that when they were in government the state's population growth rate was only 0.4% and for example how in 1997 the state was only able to attract approximately 1500 immigrants.

Sure they are only playing politics, but such commets are absurd.

So, only three years after they inherited the largest funds deficit (thanks to Bannon and Labor) in the state's history (and the subsequent economic/population fallout) they're expected to have fixed everything? What they managed to do afterwards was exceptional, given the circumstances.

What Labor's done in it's term of office pales in comparison to what the funds-stricken Liberals were able to do (Le Mans, se-expressway, clipsal 500, etc) - and they, for the most part, lacked the GST windfall and inherited a monetary disaster.

Post WW2, it was under the Liberals that both the state's economy and population growth rates were the highest in the nation, beating all the other states. Under Labor in the 70s, we were a social fairyland, but: Crime rates went up. Population growth stagnated. The economy failed to adapt and diversify.

I wonder how long until Labor slips up again and the Liberals have to bail us out.

People seem to have a delightfully short memory as to what Labor has done to this state.

So its OK for the liberals not to have fixed everything whilst they were in government, but yet you whinge constantly in this forum wanting Labor to give us 10% economic and population growth per annum.

I am certain that if we had never elected a Labor government in 2002, and we somehow (highly doubtful) managed to achieve the 0.8% population growth, you would be delighted, and not go on here screaming for more.

And seriously only neo-liberal fundamentalists would claim the SE Expressway, which is seen as a joke everywhere as a major achievement.
And why did you emntion Le Mans, it only lasted one race?

Hm? I'm not saying the Liberals are picture-perfect (I've always said both parties aren't trying hard enough), but I'm saying Labor can't touch the Libs in comparison. It won't be too long until they trip.

S expressway? Considering the lack of funds, and its potential for expansion in the future it is very acceptable. We could have had a whole N-S freeway from Dry Creek to Old Noarlunga if Labor hadn't sold off the reservations in the 80s!

Le Mans, Tour Down Under, new trams, all these ideas were Liberal proposals and ideas! Tourism for our state and city. Le Mans was one hell of a race.

[rhino]

We could have had a whole N-S freeway from Dry Creek to Old Noarlunga if Labor hadn't sold off the reservations in the 80s!

.

Have a look at this website re South Australia's freeways

http://www.ozroads.com.au/SA/freeways.htm

Here's a quote from it:

In Early 1980 the Tonkin Government won office and the Minister for Transport, Michael Wilson, announced a commitment by his Government to sell off much of the land acquired for possible transport corridors. Shortly afterwards he announced the abandonement of the idea of a connector between Hindmarsh and North Adelaide and the sale of land in the Hindmarsh area.


Tonkin and Wilson were Liberals, if I remember correctly.

[bdm]

We could have had a whole N-S freeway from Dry Creek to Old Noarlunga if Labor hadn't sold off the reservations in the 80s!

.

Have a look at this website re South Australia's freeways

http://www.ozroads.com.au/SA/freeways.htm

Here's a quote from it:

In Early 1980 the Tonkin Government won office and the Minister for Transport, Michael Wilson, announced a commitment by his Government to sell off much of the land acquired for possible transport corridors. Shortly afterwards he announced the abandonement of the idea of a connector between Hindmarsh and North Adelaide and the sale of land in the Hindmarsh area.


Tonkin and Wilson were Liberals, if I remember correctly.

Yes, you're correct. They used the Modbury Corridor for the O-Bahn, and sold off the 'City Freeway' corridor (looping around the city from Hindmarsh to Glenside). They didn't sell off the N-S reservation, realising it's importance (a study was done), but they did reduce it's width slightly. I've read the original MATS report and am writing an article on it. I'm well aware of what happened.

The N-S freeway reservation was sold by the Bannon government because it wasn't empty--it was full of houses and properties (owned by the government and leased out) with unsavory tenants because the land was worth nothing whilst governmend owned. The area was full of crime.

[rev]

Things may not have been all rosey when the Liberals gained government, but they didn't leave things in any better shape them selfs.
How many public schools did they close?
How much funding did they cut from hospitals?(as one example)
I can tell you also that they did next to nothing to maintain police force numbers, let alone increase the size of SAPOL.

Sorry, they built us a one way expressway. How thoughtfull of them

Yea, Lemans was one hell of a race, exactly.
From memory, the Panoz team or the owner/ceo of the LeMans series, was prepared to invest in the races future in Adelaide. Pitty the then Liberal government wasnt interested huh?

[crawf]

The Liberals seem to have very short term memories. Don't they remember that when they were in government the state's population growth rate was only 0.4% and for example how in 1997 the state was only able to attract approximately 1500 immigrants.

Shit, i didnt know it was that bad...

I am certain that if we had never elected a Labor government in 2002, and we somehow (highly doubtful) managed to achieve the 0.8% population growth, you would be delighted, and not go on here screaming for more.

exactly

[stelaras]

Gentlemen.... The point shouldnt be a political mudslinging contest. i.e. the liberals did this and labor did that....

The government whether it is liberal or labor will govern according to a set code pre-determined by a number of events most of which occur globally. Whether you support liberal or labor the policies are similar to a certain extent..The stuff you are all arguing are minor an inconsequential...

The Economy is governed by world affairs, always has and always will be...If things are bad in the major powers of the world, things are bad in Australia too! If the liberal paety was in power in the 80's they too would have incurred the same debts as the global economy was coming down from an over inflated boom.. If you compare that to what is happening today at a federal level, its exactly the same....the market is overinflated therefore corrective measures have to be put in place.....Hence why there have been three rate rises in little over a year.
It isn't howards liberal party that is at fault, it is the Bank leaders and economic forecasters that set all this up....Howard, Rudd, Rann or whoever the liberal shadow leader is SA (when i lived there it was Kerrin). Sure, you can argue that interest rates are not as high as they were under labor...but the world in 2006 is very different to what it was like in the 1980's with spending/consumption the way it is....interest rates of 8% is the same if not worse as an interest rate of 17%

So, i propose that the mudslinging stop....

The point is SA population growth is up to 0.8%..thats great news because the state and city needs to get bigger! However, it still is not good enough, we are still in fourth place overall compared to other states....and since our lifestyle and general cost of living is better than all other states we should be doing better!

At the end of the day the people (us) can complain and bitch and whinge however, politics is a balancing act and things change over time.... The states government has to be congratulated for being visionary and pushing Adelaide in the right direction...however, they cant take the foot off the pedal...they need to continue to work hard and if there was a government change the opposition would have to take over from where the other left off, its the only way forward!