I think you have to be a
PR to get the baby bonus and one would hope that you wouldnt be basing a decision on whether/when to have another baby just on the money the government may give you as a hand out.
I think there are a whole lot of other things to take into consideration - support network for starters, when you have two small children it can be deadly without a half decent support network so think about where that is likely to be. Maternal and child health is much more clinic/hospital based here and there are very few home visiting services. There are a range of birthing options from labour wards through birthing centres right down to home births but the number of home births is decreasing due to the pressure on staff and liability issues. Being pregnant in the heat of the tropics or summer Australia is no damned fun at all! So if you do wait until you get here, try and pick the coolest time of year to be most heavily pregnant!!! If you want to be sure to get the doctor of your choice to deliver your baby here then you have to pay out private medical insurance (and it has to start before you become pregnant) otherwise you just get whoever happens to be the babycatcher of the day in the hospital.
