Mountain Scene
By TRACEY ROXBURGH
Queenstown’s Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) is hoping to help resort residents avoid get ting to ‘‘mental health crisis’’ point with a new service.
Noticing a nexus between financial stress and hardship and mental health struggles last year, CAB’s trained up former financial planner Barbara McDonnell and account ant Murray McClennan to become budget advisers through FinCap, a non-government organisation.
They’ve now been given $20,000 by the Wakatipu Community Foundation’s Wakatipu Greatest Needs Fund to provide the free service.
McDonnell says last year there was a ‘‘marked increase’’ in inquiries to CAB around financial hardship and stress brought on as a result of Covid.