Labor pledges $2.5 million for Shepherd Centre in Campbelltown

A Federal Labor government would invest $2.5 million to help the Shepherd Centre establish a new facility in Campbelltown.

Dr Mike Freelander MP, Hume Labor candidate Aoife Champion, Anne Stanley MP and Shepherd Centre CEO Dr Jim Hungerford with mum and son Jen and Jack from Gledwood Hills.

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A Federal Labor government would invest $2.5 million to help the Shepherd Centre establish a new facility in Campbelltown.

The service, which helps deaf children learn to communicate, unveiled plans late last year to establish a $6.8 million facility on Moore St but was in need of government support to get the project off the ground.

Macarthur federal Labor MP Dr Mike Freelander said the centre would benefit about 200 children.

Labor will put $2.5 million towards the facility.

“With the area experiencing rapid growth, the new centre will benefit around 200 children and their families in Campbelltown and the surrounds,” Dr Freelander said.

“It will address the present shortfall in specialist services and cater to the diverse needs of children who are deaf or hearing-impaired.”

“Labor’s investment in a centre of excellence in Macarthur will allow the Shepherd Centre to expand their world-leading services in paediatric hearing loss.”

Shepherd Centre CEO Dr Jim Hungerford told the Macarthur Chronicle last year the centre was a much needed service in the region.

The planned Shepherd Centre facility in Campbelltown.

“There are pockets where there are no local services, the closest service we have (to the Macarthur region) is in Liverpool, but with all of the growth in the Macarthur region there are hundreds of children who are unable to access a specialist service — and there will be hundreds more as the region grows,” he said.