On 11 May 2019 the former Minister responsible for hearing services, the Hon Ken Wyatt MP, announced a $28 million grant to Hearing Australia to deliver the new Hearing Assessment Program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged under six in regional, rural and remote communities. The program will:

• deliver hearing assessments in areas that have poor access to services
• upskill primary health care services so they can better detect and manage ear disease; and
• improve awareness in the community of the importance of hearing health and what parents and families can do to prevent hearing loss.

Hearing Australia has commenced implementation of the program with a staged approach rapidly expanding services across Australia. This program will have a significant impact in raising awareness in families and communities and identifying and treating ear disease much earlier. This in turn will lead to significantly improved hearing outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.