A regular funder to Citizens Advice Bureau Dunedin has stopped its contribution, but the charity is busier than ever.
Manager Ngaire Duke said the 53 bureau volunteers on the roster at Community House in Moray Pl fielded about 11,000 inquiries last year and the bureau website had more than 2000 hits.
She had worked for the bureau for 20 years and it was the most requests the bureau had had in a year.
''We used to average about 9000 to 10,000 [inquiries] a year.''
The number of bureau volunteers was similar to past years, so they were busier than ever.
''They do a fantastic job. They don't know what the next call could be about. It could be a bus timetable inquiry or ... a crisis situation.''
Pub Charity stopped its regular funding to the bureau because it no longer had gaming machines in Dunedin, Mrs Duke said.
The bureau had a $225.65 net loss for the financial year ending June 30.
Moyles Supervalue Supermarket owner John Moyle said the only Pub Charity gaming machines were in the now-closed Royal Tavern in Green Island, which was set to be ''knocked down'' in the next fortnight to make way for a new supermarket.
Pub Charity chief executive Martin Cheer said if every gaming machine was removed from a city, it prevented Pub Charity funding local organisations.
''Once they're gone, they're gone,'' he said.
Talking points
Top 10 topics for Citizens Advice Bureau Dunedin. -
1. Justice of the peace.
2. Consumer.
3. Tenancy.
4. Budgeting and debt management.
5. Passports.
6. Special interest groups.
7. Employment including contracts, disputes and conditions.
8. Relationships including counselling, property, separation and relationship breakdowns.
9. Neighbours.
10. Immigration.
