The surprise suburb leading a baby boom across the state

Families all over the city are moving to suburbs like this one, with birthrates skyrocketing across the area.

When it comes to raising babies, no Queensland suburb is doing it quite like Redbank Plains.

In the past year, the area has seen 542 births, according to KPMG’s analysis of Australian Bureau of Statistics data.

This makes Redbank Plains the top nappy valley across the state, beating Boronia Heights and Park Ridge by 78.

Nicola Reid is a resident of Redbank Plains, raising her newborn in the suburb – and she was shocked to see how many people were doing the same.

“I think we were expecting older kids, not quite the same age as ours,” she said. “Just within the surrounding houses, it’s three out of four that have young kids at a really similar age to ours.”

Nicola Reid, Ryan Przeklasa and their baby Parker Przeklasa. When they moved to Redbank Plains, they knew it would be the perfect place to raise their child at a price they could afford. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen/Courier Mail

Ms Reid originally moved to Redbank Plains because she thought it would be a good place to raise a family. She said several of her friends felt the same, moving to the greater area to have more space to raise newborn kids.

“In any given direction, six minutes from my house, there’s a supermarket and there’s a chemist, or a doctor’s surgery,” she said. “They’re silly things from an everyday perspective, but they mean a lot when you have a little kid that is at daycare a lot of the time, and you really need to have all those things close.”

Ms Reid and her partner Ryan moved away from family to live in Redbank Plains, but felt the trade-off was worth it. She said she found her commute similar to when she lived in the more central suburb of Carina, and appreciated the extra space her property afforded.

“Parker has a playroom, and Ryan has a proper study now,” she said. “We’ve got a backyard, and I’m growing plants, and I’ve got all the room in the world for fruit trees.”

The family bought a home at a lower price than the Greater Brisbane average, wit plenty of backyard room for their child to grow and play. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen/Courier Mail

In Redbank Plains, the median suburb house price is $640,000. Ms Reid was able to buy a five-bedroom, two-bathroom home in the suburb for $750,000 – still lower than the Greater Brisbane average.

Ms Reid said if she and her family move, they’d look to stay in the same area, hopeful that her baby will be able to form strong friendships with the other kids his age.

“We’re definitely staying there for at least ten years,” she said. “When I younger, we had people who I would consider my surrogate brother and sister, and surrogate mum, that we still see today. That, I would love to have for my kids.”

Originally published as The surprise suburb leading a baby boom across the state