The Citizens Advice Bureau on the Hibiscus Coast is appealing to the community to sign a petition to keep them open after the Auckland Council proposed to reduce their funding.

The proposed cutbacks, aimed at various community organisations like the CABs, are part of the 2023/2024 budget as the council struggles to reduce rate hikes and council debt. 

Auckland CABs receive around $2 million a year but the council wants to slash this in a bid to reduce expenditure, limit rate hikes and get out of debt.

This annual funding for the CAB provides staff support, overhead costs, and local infrastructure to support 900 highly-trained volunteers at the region's 32 CABs. 

The community needs the CABs as they offer assistance and help to just over 160 000 people a year. 

The CAB volunteers have helped the community for over 50 years free of charge.

The community rely on the CABs for information, advice, support and services they need to navigate life’s problems and challenges. 

This includes help with housing and tenancy, relationship issues, neighbour disputes, employment and small business matters, consumer protection, immigration, income support and access to food assistance, as well as local issues like rubbish and recycling services, rates, local body elections, parking, water, sewerage, noise and nuisance, and more.

With the recent floods and the ongoing challenges of daily life, Auckland CABs are helping people with information and advice and connecting them with the support they need. 

The assistance includes access to emergency accommodation, food relief, Civil Defence support payments, and advice about damage to property, blocked drains, trees, tenancy rights, and insurance. 

If the funding is cut, it will have a huge impact on people.

The budget is open for public consultation, which means you, the public, can object to the council’s decision to cut this funding.

People can go to https://our.actionstation.org.nz/petitions/save-auckland-cabs

CAB Hibiscus Coast has been operating at the Orewa Community Centre since 1979. 

Although the CAB Hibiscus Coast is closed for face-to-face consultations, they are open on the phone and by email. 

They are open Monday to Friday from 9.30am to 3.30pm on 09 426 5338