Terms of reference

Inquiry into Hearing Health in Australia

Terms of reference

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On 10 September 2009 the Senate referred the following matter to the Community Affairs References Committee for inquiry and report by the last sitting day in February 2010:

Hearing Health in Australia with particular reference to:

  1. the extent, causes and costs of hearing impairment in Australia;

  2. the implications of hearing impairment for individuals and the community;

  3. the adequacy of access to hearing services, including assessment and support services, and hearing technologies;

  4. the adequacy of current hearing health and research programs, including education and awareness programs; and

  5. specific issues affecting Indigenous communities.

The Committee is seeking written submissions from interested individuals and organisations preferably sent electronically by email to community.affairs.sen@aph.gov.au as an attached PDF or Word format document. The email must include full postal address and contact details.

Alternatively, written submissions may be sent to:

Committee Secretary
Senate Community Affairs References Committee
PO Box 6100
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600

Due to the interest generated by this inquiry, the Committee will continue to receive submissions throughout the inquiry.

Submissions become Committee documents and are made public only after a decision by the Committee. Publication of submissions includes loading them onto the internet and their being available to other interested parties including the media. Persons making submissions must not release them without the approval of the Committee. Submissions are covered by parliamentary privilege but the unauthorised release of them is not protected.

Information relating to Senate Committee inquiries, including notes to assist in the preparation of submissions for a Committee, can be located on the internet at https://www.aph.gov.au/senate/committee/wit_sub/index.htm.

For further details please contact the Committee Secretariat by phone: (02) 6277 3515, fax: (02) 6277 5829 or email to community.affairs.sen@aph.gov.au.

Enquiries from hearing and speech impaired people should be directed to Parliament House TTY number 02 6277 7799. Adobe also provides tools at http://access.adobe.com/ for the blind and visually impaired to access PDF documents. If you require any special arrangements to enable you to participate in the Committee's inquiry, please contact the Secretariat.

For further information, contact:

Committee Secretary
Senate Standing Committees on Community Affairs
PO Box 6100
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
Australia

Phone: +61 2 6277 3515
Fax: +61 2 6277 5829
Email: community.affairs.sen@aph.gov.au