The Shepherd Centre was delighted to host The Hon Anthony Albanese MP during his visit to their centre in Tasmania in April 2023.
In the past, The Shepherd Centre has supported children and families in Tasmania through telehealth and periodic visits by their clinicians. However, the absence of permanent facilities in Tasmania has placed local children and families at a disadvantage, as they require more intensive support.
Establishing The Shepherd Centre in Tasmania is a significant milestone, enabling families to access essential services promised during the election campaign and reflected in the budget allocation in October 2022, which has now come to fruition in April 2023.
The Australian Government promised to allocate $6.5 million to three different focus areas of The Shepherd Centre to address the gaps in hearing services for children with hearing loss. As part of this funding initiative, a new permanent facility will be constructed in the Macarthur region of West Sydney, due to open at the end of 2023. Two more permanent facilities will also be established in Hobart and Launceston in Tasmania. These centres will provide essential support to thousands of children with hearing loss and their families. With a projected completion date of 2025, all three centres will offer comprehensive assistance to children with hearing loss in New South Wales and Tasmania, ensuring they receive the necessary assistance for a brighter future.
Furthermore, the third area of funding will enable the expansion of HearHub, an innovative platform designed to support children with hearing loss, regardless of their geographical location.
