Summary
Australian Hearing Services (Hearing Australia) is the largest provider of government funded hearing services. Hearing Australia provides hearing services to clients eligible under the Australian Government Hearing Services Program. Its services include assessing hearing, fitting hearing devices and providing rehabilitative programs to help eligible clients manage their hearing impairment.
Abolition
Creation
Hearing Australia is the current incarnation of the Acoustic Research Laboratory that was set up in 1942. Its initial purpose was the investigation of noise on behalf of the Australian Military during World War II. After the war it helped those children, whose hearing was affected by earlier rubella outbreaks.
The Commonwealth Department of Health (now the Department of Health and Ageing) took over the Laboratory which had operated under the aegis of the National Health and Medical Research Council and was renamed the Commonwealth Acoustic Laboratories, with the aim of providing hearing services for children and veterans. The take over resulted from a Cabinet decision of the 4 June 1946. The Laboratory was given a legislative basis by the Acoustic Laboratories Act 1948, which commenced on 12 June 1948.
The Central Laboratory in Sydney is the research and administrative centre. Until 1965, it also functioned as a clinical laboratory for Sydney which, like the branch laboratories in other states, performed hearing tests and was responsible for the fitting and maintenance of hearing aids. In 1965 the Central Laboratory was separated from the Clinical Laboratory, the former being relocated at Millers Point and the latter at the Grace Building, 77 York Street, Sydney. In 1973 the Commonwealth Acoustic Laboratories was renamed the National Acoustic Laboratories.
From 1 July 1992, the National Acoustic Laboratory changed its name to Australian Hearing Services and as a statutory authority adopted improved business practices and increased collaboration with private industry. The Hearing Services Act 1991 repealed the Acoustic Laboratories Act 1948.
The Australian Hearing Services Act 1991 established it as Australian Hearing Services, a Commonwealth Government statutory authority. The name National Acoustic Laboratories was retained for its research division. When the Department of Human Services was formed in 2004, the agency now known as Hearing Australia was moved into its portfolio.
Functions and activities
The functions of Hearing Australia are defined under Section 8 of the AHS Act. These include:
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the provision of hearing services to eligible clients under the Australian Government’s Hearing Services Program (HSP) and to designated persons eligible under the Community Service Obligations (CSO) Program - including children, young adults, adults with complex needs and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
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the provision of hearing services to Comcare clients and Commonwealth employees
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entering arrangements for the supply, research, design and development of hearing services, including providing services to anyone with a hearing loss
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carrying out research
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providing advice, education, training and consultancy services in relation to hearing services, and
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any functions incidental to these functions.
The AHS Act also sets out a range of governance obligations and operational requirements for the organisation.
This means Australian Hearing Services works closely with Australian Government departments, agencies, and partners to ensure research and hearing services are of the highest standard and deliver improved hearing health outcomes for the community.
They support initiatives to prevent hearing loss and advocate for improved access to, and quality of, hearing health services across Australia.
In addition, their First Nations Services Unit coordinates the delivery of our services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across Australia.
Australian Hearing Services also run campaigns and events to raise public awareness of the importance of good hearing health and, their research arm – the National Acoustic Laboratories (NAL) – regularly produces internationally recognised research on hearing health.
Legislation administered
As stated above, Hearing Australia's functions are set out in Section 8 of the AHS Act. To expand on this, they are as follows:
(a) to provide hearing services to voucher holders in accordance with an agreement entered by the authority under Part 3 of the Hearing Services Administration Act 1997:
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to provide declared hearing services to young Australians
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to provide declared hearing services to referred Comcare clients
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to provide declared hearing services to referred Commonwealth employees
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to provide declared hearing services to designated persons.
(b) to carry out research and development (including co-operative research with other institutions) into:
(c) to enter arrangements for research, design and development of hearing services
(d) to enter arrangements for supply of hearing services
(e) to provide, as appropriate, for the training and education of persons or bodies (including overseas bodies) providing hearing services
(f) to provide advice on, and to conduct public education programs in relation to, hearing services provided by the authority
(g) to develop standards in relation to noise levels in the community that are acceptable in connection with the prevention of hearing loss
(h) to provide consultancy services relating to any of the matters referred to in this subsection
(i) to promote the establishment of export markets for Australian hearing services
(j) to operate special acoustic facilities for acoustic measurement and research
(k) such other functions as are conferred on the authority by the Act
(l) any functions incidental to any of the foregoing functions.
Administrative structure
Hearing Australia is a corporate Commonwealth entity and accountable to the Minister for Government Services.
The Board of Hearing Australia is established under the AHS Act and consists of a Chair, the Managing Director, four Non-Executive Directors and two Special Purpose Directors.
The Board’s functions under the AHS Act are to decide the objectives, strategies and policies to be followed by Hearing Australia and to ensure that the organisation performs its functions in a proper, efficient and economical manner.
The Board reports to the Minister for Government Services and is currently supported by three committees:
· the Audit and Risk Management Committee,
· the Quality, Client and Stakeholder Committee, and
· the Remuneration and People Committee.
The Board and its Committees meet on a regular basis and maintain a strong level of guidance and oversight of the organisation and its operations.
This includes a focus on Hearing Australia’s:
· operational and financial performance
· progress against key initiatives and key performance indicators
· risk management and compliance programs, including in relation to fraud and corruption
· internal audit program and compliance with Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) requirements and PGPA Act requirements, and
· annual reporting to the Minister for Government Services, including financial and performance reporting.
The Board is committed to ongoing professional development and is updated regularly on emerging governance issues, Government policy changes and the implications for Hearing Australia. The Board may also appoint additional members to Board committees, where required