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HEARING aid retailers Oticon Australia and Sonic Innovations have been ordered to pay penalties totalling $2.5 million for misleading pensioners about devices sold by two clinic chains that operate across the Great Southern.

Oticon and Sonic Innovations admitted its newspaper advertisements contained three false and misleading representations about hearing aids available to pensioners under the Federal hearing services program.

ACCC Commissioner Sarah Court said many pensioners targeted by the ads were vulnerable due to their age and hearing loss.

“The misleading representations by Sonic and Oticon created a false sense of urgency for these consumers to book a hearing test and led them into a sales process based on incorrect information,” she said.

“This conduct is unacceptable particularly because it targeted vulnerable pensioners.”

The Federal Court imposed penalties of $2.5 million, and ordered that the companies offer refunds to customers and publish a corrective notice in a nationally circulated newspaper.

“The decision from the Federal Court sends a strong message to the hearing aid industry about the importance of ensuring all representations to consumers are accurate and not misleading,” Ms Court said.

The companies misled consumers by claiming that to obtain a free hearing aid, pensioners had to book a test at an AudioClinic or HearingLife clinic before the deadline in the ad.

In fact, there was no time limit.

There are AudioClinics at Lockyer Avenue in Albany, and on Mount Shadforth Road in Denmark.

HearingLife has a clinic at Katanning Hospital.

Neither chain of clinics was on trial and there was no ruling against them.

Oticon and Sonic Innovations also misled consumers by claiming the free hearing aids included wireless technology that could be connected to televisions and mobile phones.

The wireless technology was in fact an accessory sold separately at extra cost.

A claim that users of the advertised hearing aid would no longer miss conversations – when in fact that depends on a person’s circumstances and the nature of their hearing impairment – also landed Oticon and Sonic Innovations in hot water.

AN ALBANY city official has assured Middleton Beach goers the landmark green picnic tables near Ellen Cove will remain in situ when the foreshore receives a multi-million dollar facelift, despite a render of the new look not including them.

A landscape plan containing new artist’s impressions of the foreshore was due to be considered by a City of Albany committee last night before a final decision by the full council at a later date.

The plan shows a render of the foreshore that displays tiered grassed terraces where picnic benches currently reside.

The render does not include the green timber picnic tables that have been at the beach for years.

But a City spokesperson told The Weekender the tables would not be removed.

“A summary of the design approach on page three of the … plan clarifies the retention of the Norfolk Pine trees, established grassed areas, grassed terraces and Ellen Cove Jetty to maintain the foreshore’s existing usage and character … and additional grassed terraces to create an amphitheatre overlooking the beach environment,” he said.

“Further, the diagram on page five of the plan reinforces this, clearly showing the existing terraces and existing trees and the area that will feature new terraces.

“This diagram is a more accurate representation of the proposed layout of the existing and new terraced areas.”

The spokesperson also said woodcarver Darrel Radcliffe’s new tree carving, unveiled last month in the picnic table area, would not be affected by the redevelopment.

The spokesperson said the current renders were only concept plans.

IN THE wake of Narrogin Police seizing more than 70 unsecured firearms and ammunition from a Narrogin gun collector’s property, Great Southern District police inspector Danny Vincent announced on Tuesday a new operation targeting complacent firearm owners.

Operation Bluesun began on Monday and will continue for six weeks, and will involve police officers conducting security inspections and physical audits of selected firearm owner’s properties.

Inspector Vincent said the focus of the proactive operation is community safety and educating firearm owners.

“Unfortunately, what we’re finding is firearm owners who are not aware of their responsibilities,” he said.

“One of our biggest concerns is firearms falling into the wrong hands.

“So a big part of this operation is preventing firearm thefts.”

Inspector Vincent said firearm owners can find out how to comply with firearm storage legislation by visiting police.wa.gov.au or by contacting their local police station.

Operation Bluesun will be assessed at the end of the initial six-week period to decide whether it will continue.

A NEW health centre in Bremer Bay is one step closer to fruition following Jerramungup shire council’s decision to reserve a block of land for the development at no cost to WA Country Health Service (WACHS).

The Council’s unanimous decision to offer the use of the 5000sqm Garnett Road block paves the way for a business case to be presented to the State Government to secure funding.

In council documents presented to the Council’s October 17 meeting, WACHS regional director David Naughton said that having the land donated in-kind was crucial to the development of the new health centre.

“Securing such suitable land at no cost to WACHS is a key part of the project,” he wrote.

Shire CEO Martin Cuthbert said the allocation of the block would allow WACHS to finish their business case to get the ball rolling for a new centre to be built.

The centre is slated to replace the seaside town’s 30-year-old nursing post.

“The existing post is definitely past its use by date and not really suitable to be used anymore,” Mr Cuthbert said.

“There are issues with privacy and the nurse has to play the radio loudly to drown out confidential conversations.”

Mr Cuthbert said developing a new health centre in Bremer Bay was something the locals needed and wanted.

“We’re attempting to expand and develop our health and aged care facilities to keep people in Bremer Bay,” he said.

“There’s a large portion of the town’s population that are retirees and with the existing infrastructure, a lot leave to places like Albany so they can have better access to health professionals.

“We want to keep people around long-term and look after our ageing and youth populations.”

Mr Cuthbert said locating the health centre in Bremer Bay’s developing town centre was part of the bigger picture.

“We want to grow Bremer Bay and with this town centre we’re hoping we can convince people to buy and build in the town,” he said.

“We have the skate park there already, we’ll have a new library, a shire office for our development service staff, the new health centre and six more units for the aged care facility.

“It’s exciting times. The Council has been planning and preparing this for a long time and to see it come to fruition is nice to see.”

A WACHS spokesperson said a business case for the health centre was being developed for consideration in the 2019/20 budget.

SCHOOL students from across the Great Southern are congregating in Albany’s city centre this morning for a combined schools commemoration to mark 100 years since the signing of the Armistice that ended World War I.

The service is one of many being held in Albany over the next four days in the lead-up to Remembrance Day.

It also winds up school involvement with Anzac Albany celebrations, which began in 2014 and 2015 to commemorate 100 years since the commencement of WWI and the Gallipoli landing.

Flinders Park Primary year six students Merrick Watts, Maggie Staude and Savannah Coleman-Combes are three of more than 100 from their school attending the service and said they all felt honoured and proud to be part of it.

“It feels good to be part of Armistice because all of these people fought for us, which is pretty important,” Merrick said.

“This is my first ever service so I’m really excited and really grateful that the soldiers fought for us,” Savannah added.

“It’s a great privilege,” Maggie said.

Principal Richard Bushell said the event gives students the opportunity to reflect on how peace is key in the Australian way of life.

“It’s important to help the younger generations understand the narrative,” he said.

“And for them to realise people gave the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.”

The Armistice school event, which will include 26 schools from the Great Southern, will begin with a parade on York Street at 10am before the students assemble in the Anzac Peace Park for the 10.30am service.

During the service, 100 students will uncover the stories behind the names on the war memorial, and hold the names and photos of each soldier in a cross formation.