The number of births in the Waitaki district is at its highest level since 1996, according to Statistics New Zealand. Rebecca Ryan takes a closer look at the numbers.
Waitaki mayor says the statistics back up anecdotal evidence that the district is growing.
Oamaru Hospital staff are not surprised, either, that 47 more babies were born in Waitaki last year than in 2014 - as the number of bookings at the maternity centre continues to grow and midwives get busier.
Figures released by Statistics New Zealand this week show 263 babies were born in the Waitaki in 2015, a 22% increase from 2014.
It is the highest number of births since 1996, when 271 babies were born.
The number of Maori babies born in the district was also up, close to double that of 2014, at 58 births.
At the same time, the number of deaths in the district has decreased, following similar trends elsewhere across the province and the country.
Seventeen fewer people died in Waitaki last year than in 2014.
The figures made total sense to Waitaki Mayor Gary Kircher.
"More young families are coming to the district, following the job opportunities, the affordable housing, the lifestyle,'' he said.
"That's been anecdotal, so this backs that up.''
There was "certainly'' a lot more for younger people to do in the district now compared to previous years and the district council was looking to build on that by promoting the district as family friendly.
Several projects were focused on the needs of the whole community.
"We've got the momentum going and we want to keep that up,'' he said.
"It's about trying to provide the right facilities.''
At 23, Oamaru woman Nicole Butcher, is one of those younger people making Waitaki her family's home.
She became a first-time mother, giving birth to son Vann Wright on Christmas Day last year.
"I have quite a few friends who [also] had babies last year - a couple of them were around the same time as me. Another had her baby in April.''
Vann, now eight weeks old, was the first baby born in the Oamaru Hospital on Christmas Day for 10 years.
Hospital manager Robert Gonzales said bookings at the maternity centre continued to grow, though a significant proportion of Oamaru women travelled to Dunedin to give birth.
"We don't have a full understanding of the total [district] volumes but certainly the number of births we're experiencing [at Oamaru Hospital] ... year to year it goes up and down, but, at this point of time, it's about 80 to 110 each year.
"Certainly our midwives are becoming busy.
"There are a lot of new people coming to Oamaru and younger families, especially in the farming community ... It's very positive for our region.''
The rise in births was a nationwide trend last year and follows decreases in the preceding four years.
Statistics New Zealand analyst Anne Howard said she was not surprised by the 7% national increase in births in 2015 as it followed a trend apparent since 1980, where births would decrease for a few years before bouncing back again.
"There's been a very long period of what we call the total birth rate being at around two births per women and that's been the trend since about 1980. But that hides quite a lot of change, because in that period we've seen a shift in the age, to an older age, at which women have their babies.
"We're seeing overall the birthrates being fairly consistent over a long period ... but from year to year we're seeing periods where the numbers will decrease before going back up again.''
