16 August 2016

Page 10

WHAT’S NEW...

LETTERS

Australian Hearing urges Aussies to make hearing a priority during the Big Aussie Hearing Check

They’re having a ball at our expense

WITH Hearing Awareness Week (21 – 27 August 2016) just around the corner, Australian Hearing is rallying the community to come together and prioritise their hearing health as part of the annual Big Aussie Hearing Check. Last year, Australian Hearing carried out a whopping 5000 hearing checks over the course of the week and this year the plan is to make it even bigger and better! The Australian Hearing team will pop up at hundreds of famous landmarks, community halls, RSLs, pharmacies and health centres to offer free hearing checks, advice and support throughout the various events held across Australia this Hearing Awareness Week. Nici Glyde, Manager at Australian Hearing Rosebud said that the Big Aussie Hearing Check aims to urge every Australian, young or old, to get their hearing checked. “Hearing is vital to everyday living, yet most Australians still wait on average eight years before taking action on their hearing loss.” “A hearing check is a quick and easy way to measure the sounds you can and can’t hear. Our team will also be on hand to guide you through what next steps you may have to take in regards to your hearing,” said Nici. Nici Glyde said, “Not everyone who is experiencing problems hearing needs a hearing aid. Sometimes it’s just hearing the TV at normal volumes, hearing your doorbell, or hearing your friends on the phone that’s the problem.” Do you suffer from Tinnitus? The ringing noise people experience in their ears after going to a concert or listening to loud music can be described as Tinnitus. In some cases, Tinnitus is only temporary and goes away given time. Yet for others, the ringing noise is constant and interferes with their ability to concentrate or hear actual sound. The majority of us will experience Tinnitus at some point. It is not usually the presence of the Tinnitus that is an issue, but rather how an individual thinks and feels about it. When Tinnitus becomes problem-

atic, sufferers often associate it with feelings of fear and anxiety leading to stress and frustration. Tinnitus can be caused by several factors, such as age-related hearing loss, exposure to loud noise or earwax blockage. The first step is to identify what is causing Tinnitus is to take a hearing test. Given the many options available to Tinnitus sufferers, no one should be told that ‘nothing can be done’ and we encourage all sufferers to contact Australian Hearing to book a consultation or for further information. Australian Hearing Rosebud is running a Tinnitus Information Session on Friday 26 August 2016 for those interested in finding out more information. Please contact Australian Hearing Rosebud on 5950 0700 to reserve your space today. Big Aussie Hearing Checks Seawinds Community Hub, 11a Allambi Ave Rosebud West, Wednesday 24 August, 9:00am-4:00pm. Tinnitus Information Session,Seawinds Community Hub, 11a Allambi Ave Rosebud West, Friday 26 August, 11:00am-12:00pm All events are free and all welcome. Please call 5950 0700 if you have any questions or require any further information.

YOUR rates are about to be thoroughly digested and enjoyed by highly paid shire officers, councillors and local members of parliament using their expense accounts (financed through rates and taxes) when they attend Mornington Peninsula Shire’s annual charity ball. I challenge anybody attending this forthcoming elitist exclusive and non-equal opportunistic social function to publicly announce that they paid the $185 entry price from their own salary, wage or old age pension. In reality, there may well be a few superannuated and professional members of our community who genuinely can afford to contribute towards an advertised charity fundraiser despite the fact that only three charities will receive the net proceeds after costs of staging the ball have been covered. People with disabilities, pensioners and genuine community activists who contribute many hours into making the peninsula a safer and healthier place to live are openly discriminated against and left to feel disconnected, unrewarded and forgotten. Here is a fantastic opportunity for shire CEO Carl Cowie to show real compassion and a sensible openness to change this approach and show some politically correct and broad spectrum of fairness for all peninsula residents and ratepayers. Halve the entry cost, invite all people irrespective of age, economic or health status to attend and call for all active peninsula charities to apply for a pro rata share of the net proceeds. The goodwill of being able to share a table with usually unapproachable and unknown local councillors and the appropriate request for gratuitous donations along with entertainment from local musicians donating their time and talent for a broad based and seen to be fair function, would

be a great improvement on what happens now. Ian Morrison, Mt Eliza

Shire backflip Thank you for your paper’s account of the Ombudsman’s investigation into secrecy and transparency at the Mornington Peninsula Shire Council (“Shire part of secrecy probe” The News 2/8/16). As a member of the new Somers Village Community Association team (SVCA) I have encountered the shire’s view on transparency first hand. The SVCA asked for the right of reply after the shire supplied address labels and posted information on behalf of the Somers Residents Association which pushed for the 5.2 kilometre concrete path scheme in our coastal village. The council said it would assist us by supplying address labels for our mail out. This is essential as there are no letterboxes in Somers and many ratepayers live outside Somers. Residents must pick up their mail at the post office in true coastal village style. Council demanded 16 changes to our letter and then refused to supply the address labels, stating that it did not like the “tone” of the letter, which opposed the concrete path scheme. The shire has since stated that it offered to post our letters. This is not true. It is apparent that council refused to assist the SVCA because it did not agree with its position of favouring the construction of concrete pathways. This is a secretive council that only welcomes community participation when it suits. Laurie Batiste, Somers

Join us for out Tinnitus information session at Seawinds Community Hub 21-27 August 2016 Listen up! We’re making a stand for good hearing. Help us put the spotlight on hearing on 3 easy ways.

Get expert advice about the latest Tinnitus relief technology for heading aid users and those with normal heading led by Australian Hearing. Call us today on 5950 0770 to reserve your space to attend this information session run by our senior hearing specialist, Sheree Fettett. Seawinds Community Hub 11a Allambi Street, Rosebud

Friday 26th August 11.00am

Pause for 60 seconds. Take a moment to Imagen a world without the sounds you love.

Turn it down. Wednesday 24 August Big Aussie Hearing Check. 9am - 4pm Seawinds Community Hub 11a Allambi Street, Rosebud Friday 26 August Tinnitus Session. 11am - 12pm Seawinds Community Hub Call 5950 0700 for more information

PAGE 10

Southern Peninsula News

16 August 2016

Check the volume of your tv or music device. Do people say it’s too Loud?

Speak with our friendly staff to reserve your space! Get your hearing checked at one of our big aussie hearing check events

03 5950 0700


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