05/06/2026
Our club was lucky enough to have Diane Walker along to speak. Diane is the Manager of the local Citizens’ Advice Bureau and gave an interesting presentation about the assistance they provide to the public.
There are 83 branches of the CAB in New Zealand with their Head Office being located in Wellington, but each branch is run as a separate organisation based on guidelines from Head Office. There are 34 branches in Auckland, but only one in Southland since the Gore branch closed.
They have recently set up a satellite branch in the Pod at South Alive. The CAB is an independent community organisation that is funded by the community and that receives no government funding. The manager is the only paid position and the branch is run on the smell of an oily rag. They have 26 trained volunteers who work part time; four volunteers in training, and three micro volunteers who do a small number of hours each week.
The main branch in Don Street is open Monday to Friday from 10am to 4pm and the satellite branch is open each Tuesday from 10am to 1pm. The satellite branch has been open for a month and the number of people calling in is growing gradually.
The CAB provides free, confidential and non-judgemental support for a range of issues. The volunteers are trained to listen, gather relevant facts, research and investigate the issues, and advise the available options and steps to resolve the issue.
They also ensure their clients know their rights and obligations. The services are available face to face, over the phone or on the internet (www.cab.org.nz). There are over 2,577 answers available on their website. In 2025 30 per cent more people visited the local branch and they received 17 per cent more phone calls in comparison to the previous year.