Tasmanian children with hearing loss will benefit from greater access to specialist audiology equipment, thanks to the Hydro Tasmania Community Grant program.

The Shepherd Centre was awarded $4,800 for new equipment as part of the 2023 Hydro Tasmania Community Grant program which allocated a total of $27,000 to six deserving community groups.

Tasmanian Regional Manager at the Shepherd Centre, Tiffany Slater, said the grant would assist its statewide service to support 50 children with hearing loss to listen and speak.

“Early detection of middle ear pathology ensures children receive timely medical care and have the best conditions to learn spoken language,” Ms Slater said.

The community grant program is now in its seventh year, with grants awarded up to a total of $5,000 from organisations across the state.

Hydro Tasmania’s Community Advisor, Kate Hickey, said that Hydro Tasmania has a long history of supporting the community with these grants.

“The grants provide a positive impact to Tasmanians. We look forward to seeing these projects come to life for these deserving community groups and congratulate the recipients for 2023,” Ms Hickey said.

• Thanks to the Hydro Tasmania community grant, the Lilydale District Progress Association have been awarded a $4,700 grant to place seating in the local community playground. The seating will complement a new playground recently installed, particularly important to parents and the elderly when visiting.
• Kentish Arts, Commerce and Tourism Inc will use their $5,000 grant to install waterproof screens for artists and viewers of the outdoor Mural Fest. Located in Sheffield, Mural Fest is a well-established local event unique to the ‘Town of Murals’, with the event celebrating 20 years in November.
• Cygnet Community Childrens Centre will use the $5,000 Hydro Tasmania grant to repair a section of their outdoor play area. The area is a vital space for ball games and sports to be played by the centre which provides day care, vacation programs and before and after-school care.
• The Citywide Baptist Church will be purchasing an automated external defibrillator for all users of their Lenah Valley Centre including neighbouring community buildings with their $2,400 grant.
• Whilst Longford Primary School will be using their $5,000 grant to launch an important community reading program for students. The Community Connection Reading program will link early years students with local residents from the Toosey Aged and Community Care to have dedicated reading time. This program not only benefits early learning outcomes, it also creates a sense of connection and social interactions with the residents at the centre.

For more information on the Hydro Tasmania Community Grants, please visit our Community Grants page.