People emigrating to Australia boost population

June 08 2009 by Robbie Ragless

Perth: more people move to Australia

The Australian government is preparing for a notable increase in the population over the next few years, mainly as a result of increasing numbers of people successfully applying for an Australia visa to start a new life.

The population of Australia as a whole increased by 400,000 last year with 230,000, or just over half, emigrating to Australia from abroad. Australia is becoming increasingly popular, particularly with people from the UK who are looking to start a new life abroad, as a country with a high quality of life, good climate and stable economy and government.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), Western Australia saw the greatest population growth over the last year. The number of people living in the Australian state increased by around 1,250 each week in 2008, and by 66,000 over the entire year.

By 2015, ABS says the population of Western Australia is expected to have risen by a further 300,000 people. Its current population is 2.2 million.

The Western Australian Local Government Association president, Bill Mitchell, said that new land developments around Perth will need infrastructure and services for the growing population of new Australia visa holders. But he did not expect any major problems with the surge in population, commenting "we're coping quite well and it's all about forward planning."

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