SPEECH TO THE 60TH BIRTHDAY OF AUSTRALIAN HEARING-ROCKHAMPTON

_{28 June, 2007}

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Well good morning Ladies and Gentlemen, and particularly to Sharon Keane, the Regional Manager of Australian Hearing, and Glen Munnerley, the District Manager.

You can’t have a birthday party without toasting the purpose for the celebration, so I want everyone to join with me in singing the Happy Birthday song;

Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday Australian Hearing
Happy Birthday to you!

That was very well done from all of you - your singing is impeccable – unfortunately I have a cold today – my singing is usually much better than that.

On this auspicious occasion, I bring greetings from the hundreds and thousands, indeed, hundreds of thousands of people who have benefited from Australian Hearing over the last 60 years.

Do you know that 60% of people over 60, and 70% of people over 70, have hearing problems and they certainly benefit from Australian Hearing. They are pensioners and concession card holders. Veterans are certainly big users of this service and almost 55% of veterans do have a hearing condition. Actually, it is the second most common medical condition suffered by veterans.

Members of the Australian Defence Force and Australians under 21 - about 1200 to 1500 of them - each year are assisted by Australian Hearing.

Also, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people over 50 or on CDEP payments, have all used and benefited from this service.

Whilst we celebrate 60 years of the service Australia wide, in Rockhampton this is their 27th year of operations, and currently the service in Rockhampton has some 1500 clients.

I know from talking to some of them, how well the local staff are regarded in the service they provide here at Australian Hearing.

People from Emerald, Longreach, Yeppoon, and Woorabinda are all serviced, as well as those in the Capricornia Adventists Retirement Village, who I know do have a close connection with this branch of Australian Hearing.

As most of you here will know, but unfortunately all Australians do not know, hearing loss is a hidden disability.  It is over looked, it is denied, it is ignored, or it is a taboo subject- it is a bit like ‘out of sight-out of mind’.

But one in six Australians have some hearing loss difficulties, the most prominent of whom in our country, I would suggest, is our Prime Minister, John Howard. I often wonder whether John Howard would have ever become Prime Minister if he hadn’t be able to avail himself of services which do assist with his hearing. It is an interesting thought.

Australian Hearing has helped manage hearing loss and has for many decades provided world class research through the National Acoustic Laboratory. The Laboratory needs more mention – it does do an enormous amount of world class research, and we are seen, in both servicing hearing loss and researching into it, as one of the world leaders.

Australian Hearing also promotes screening to protect our hearing to identify where there are problems.
 
Did you know that some 74% of new born babies are tested for hearing loss? For those that are found to have hearing difficulties, early detection does mean that they can be treated at a very early age, so that their development is not in anyway restricted.

Indigenous Australians in more remote parts of Australia also do very well from the services provided by Australian Hearing, with remote communities being catered for with visiting audiologists

I hear that Australian Hearing is recruiting Aborigine and Torres Strait Islanders to work in the service and that of course, seems to me, to be an excellent idea. It allows those with a cultural understanding to be part of the service provided.

It is also interesting to note that Australian Hearing is not a Government monopoly, it does have competitors in the private industry. However, even with fairly widespread competition it still remains Australia’s industry leader.

I want to make a special mention to all of the dedicated staff, over 900 of them who work for Australian Hearing in 90 permanent sites and 200 visiting sites across Australia.

Over the last 60 years, Australian Hearing has fitted over 1 million hearing aids, and has provided millions of services. Here in Rockhampton, as I mentioned earlier, they have a great team, and the team members seem to become part of the families of clients who benefit from their work.

Congratulations to all involved and again Happy Birthday to Australian Hearing.

Now, because you did not sing it well enough, can I again lead you all in a more rousing rendition of Happy Birthday.

Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday Australian Hearing
Happy Birthday to you!

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