Western NSW hearing bus faces closure without $400,000 funding
The Hear Our Heart Ear Bus screens 2,000 kids yearly in western NSW but faces closure without $400,000 annual funding by mid-2026.
A mobile hearing clinic that travels about 9,000 kilometres yearly across western NSW and Dubbo is at risk of closing. The charity lost its main sponsor, the Hall Foundation, which made its last contribution in July.
The bus screens more than 2,000 children a year, with half being Aboriginal kids. In five years, it has conducted over 10,000 tests, referred 310 children to ear specialists, and fitted 51 with hearing devices.
One teenager, Eli Wright, was diagnosed with a life-threatening cyst behind his eardrum during a screening, it was millimetres from his brain. Without funding, many families would have to travel to Dubbo or pay for private screening they cannot afford.
- 2,000
- Children tested yearly
- $400,000
- Annual funding needed
- 9,000 kilometres
- Distance travelled yearly
- Half of total
- Aboriginal children in tests
Why it mattersHearing loss in children blocks learning. Early detection through free screening closes the gap in health outcomes and gives kids a fair start at school.
AustraliaAboriginal and non-Aboriginal children across western NSW would lose access to free ear screening if the bus closes, widening health gaps for remote and rural communities.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 2 h ago
