A total of 285,200 births were registered in Australia in 2007 according to figures released yesterday by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

The previous record was in 1971 when 276,400 births were registered.

However, the figures at Bathurst over the past few years tell a different story.

In 2004 a total of 572 births were recorded, in 2005 there were 593, in 2006 there were a total of 603 babies born, but in 2007 just 560 babies were born.

A Greater Western Area Health Service spokesperson said that up until the end of September this year 429 babies were born at Bathurst Hospital, with a target of 600 expected to be reached by the end of the year.

She said these figures did not take into account the number of Bathurst babies born at Orange Hospital.

"The number of births at Orange Hospital has also increased," she said.

The Australia-wide figures show a total fertility rate of 1.93 babies per woman, up from 1.81 in 2006 and the highest since 1981 when it was 1.94.

The total fertility rate represents the average number of babies that a woman could expect to bear during her reproductive lifetime if current fertility rates continued.

The Northern Territory and Tasmania had the highest total fertility rates, recording 2.27 and 2.19 babies per woman respectively.

Women in the Northern Territory and Tasmania also had their children at a younger age. Fertility in these states was at its highest in 25-29 year olds compared to the rest of Australia where the highest fertility was in the 30-40 age group.

Some commentators have linked the rise in births to the Federal Government's revamped $3000 baby bonus paid to mothers upon the birth of their child ever since July 2004.

Increases in other family payments and widespread fears about women waiting too long to have children are also cited as reasons for the trend.

Nearly half (43 per cent) of the 2007 births were to first time mothers, and a third (33 per cent) were having their second child.

There were 14,200 births registered where at least one parent was an indigenous Australian.

The number of multiple births also increased in 2004 with a three per cent rise from the year before.