Trent Zimmerman (North Sydney, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Hearing loss and deafness affects over 3.5 million Australians, or the equivalent of one in six. With our population ageing, that number is predicted to increase to possibly one in four Australians by 2050. Hearing loss not only affects the personal lives of so many but also has an economic impact—a cost of almost $12 billion to the Australian economy, according to some experts. Ensuring that we as a community are supporting people with hearing loss through research, education, testing and the provision of medical services is therefore vital.

As the new chair of the House Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Sport, I am pleased that our first inquiry in this parliament will be to consider hearing health and wellbeing. The inquiry commenced this week and I want to encourage all those with an interest in this area to make submissions, which close on 23 December 2016.

In many ways Australia is a world leader in the support given to those with hearing loss. For example, the committee will be commencing the inquiry with a visit to the Shepherd Centre in Sydney, which does such incredible work supporting children. We will also meet with Cochlear, one of Australia's great success stories in medical technology and innovation.

Just in my own electorate, I am proud of the innovative work of Carolyn Mee and Sound Scouts, who have developed an easy online game to allow parents and practitioners to test the hearing of their children. We must ensure that we are leading the world in supporting those with hearing loss so that they are able to fully participate in the life of our community, and I hope the work of this committee will deliver that.