Citizens Advice Bureau Auckland City

6 May 2009

CAB Response To Funding Reduction

Citizens Advice Bureau Auckland City is reviewing its response to the decision of the Community Services Committee to reduce funding to a service that it has not only supported, but had a very close relationship with, since its inception in 1970. In fact, the very first CAB was known as Auckland City Council Citizens Advice Bureau.

Disappointing is that the Committee’s response to CAB’s funding request fails to acknowledge the vital role the CAB service plays in social wellbeing in this City – an aspect that Council claims as one of its priorities. Last year the Citizens Advice service across Auckland City responded to a total of 171,183 client enquiries.

Even more disappointing is that this decision was made on a split vote with the Chair casting both a deliberative and deciding vote.

The CAB in Auckland City has proven itself an effective partner to Council over the past 40 years. It is ironic that, at a time when its people most need the services of CAB that we are having to assess our ability to sustain current levels of service provision.

ENDS

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