Australia logged A$1 trillion more in export revenue from 2003 to 2013 than in the previous decade, thanks to China's demand for commodities such as coal and iron ore. Much of the A$300 billion ($240 billion) the government netted from the boom went to tax cuts, cash payments for new mothers, and other family assistance. Very little went into infrastructure spending, sorely needed as Australia's population grew 18 percent over the course of the decade, mostly because of immigration.
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