With just one month to go to the start of the federal government's paid parental leave scheme almost 3500 families have already signed up.
Families Minister Jenny Macklin was in Brisbane on Wednesday to announce more than 700 Queensland families had already applied for the scheme.
They are among 3450 families that have applied Australia wide, she said.
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Eligible families will receive 18 weeks' leave after the birth of a child, with two weeks reserved for the father or same-sex partner, to be paid at the adult minimum wage rate of $543.78 per week.
It's estimated the scheme will cost $530 million dollars a year, made up of $450 million from taxpayer funds and $75 million from business.
