Australian immigration boosts city populations

August 06 2009 by Matt Jones

Melbourne grows as many move to Australia

Australian immigration growth is benefiting major cities as immigrants create a need in communities for expanded infrastructure.

The number of Australia visas granted during the boom years increased in line with a greater need for temporary workers in industries suffering from skills shortages. As a result of this increase in population, growth occurs as communities need more roads, schools, houses and local services, thus providing more jobs for Australians as well as immigrants.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics published population growth figures in March showing that the city of Brisbane added 17,368 new citizens over the year to June 2008, while Perth reported the highest percentage growth in population, boasting a 10.8 per cent increase.

Regions that have seen their population soar over the past years receive more funding for infrastructure and housing development. In this way, growth breeds growth and others are then drawn to migrate to these areas as immigrant communities flourish and services are added to help foreigners settle in once they have made the move to Australia.

One of the largest growth areas is the Western Front area of Melbourne, which saw its population grow by a remarkable 15,000 people during the year to June 2008.

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