Supporting Māori Communities And Businesses Through COVID-19
Associate Health and Whānau
Ora Minister Peeni Henare has today announced the
Government’s plan to support Māori communities and
businesses in the face of COVID-19. “Our
Government’s $12.1 billion economic package will help many
Māori whānau, workers and businesses, whether it’s
through wage subsidies, income support and worker
redeployment, or the $500 million fund to strengthen our
fight against COVID-19, and ensure health services are there
for those who need them the most,” Peeni Henare
said. “But as Māori Ministers we know there are
specific challenges for Māori that require a specific
response. “We know that we need to help our people
and provide targeted support to Māori businesses and help
our vulnerable Māori communities. “Māori Ministers
have been developing a range of responses, and today we are
announcing a further package that takes a whole of
government approach to providing health, social and economic
support tailored to meet the specific needs of Māori,”
Peeni Henare said. “The welfare of our whanau is at the
heart of our response to COVID-19 and we will reprioritising
$10 million from the Māori Development vote to support this
community outreach,” Māori Development Minister Hon
Nanaia Mahuta said. The steps taken by Te Puni Kokiri
include: · a refocus of TPK Regional Hubs to support
whānau, hapu and iwi. · partnering with whānau,
hapū, iwi and communities to give them the tools and
resources they need to support a targeted response. ·
providing infrastructure and technology support to our
communities. · supporting Māori health providers to
enable their clinical expertise to reach whānau Māori and
communities and assist in assessing the psychosocial needs
within the community and co-ordinate with necessary tikanga
related support. Peeni Henare says $30 million will be
targeted directly to Māori Health services. “To
protect our people, especially our kaumātua and kuia, we
can’t solely rely on them engaging with the health system,
but instead we must engage with our people, in their
neighbourhoods, communities and homes. “That is why
we are providing targeted funding to those that know how to
serve our people best: Our Māori health providers, our
Whānau Ora agencies and iwi. “We are also
redirecting an extra $15 million to Whānau Ora
commissioning agencies. They can reach into our communities
and help our most vulnerable whānau” Peeni Henare
said. The Māori Health funding includes: ·
Provide financial support for Māori provider networks to
enable them to meet increased demand; · Support
backfilling and additional workforce capacity arrangements
for Māori providers; · Develop guidelines to help
Māori prepare for self-isolation, particularly when
self-isolating as part of a large family group; ·
Provide financial support for whānau, hapū, iwi and Māori
communities – payment for prescriptions, health services
etc; · Kuia and koroua support – in-home care
continuity to keep kaumatua healthy and well (e.g. food
parcels, resources, medications); · Ensuring actions
are supported by tailored Māori communications through
appropriate and trusted channels expanding reach and
coverage of communications; · Build-in to the
telehealth service a call-back mechanism to ensure all
Māori whānau, hapū, and iwi are receiving timely health
advice; · Provide funding for Māori-led,
Māori-specific vaccination programme to address equity
issues, including a targeted health promotion
campaign; · Support the workforce of Whanau Ora
Commissioning Agencies to respond to the increase demand as
a result of COVID-19; · Activate and establish
Community Based Assessment Centres in Māori
communities. Minister of Tourism and Māori
Crown Relations: Te Arawhiti, Kelvin Davis says NZ Māori
Tourism and the Federation of Māori Authorities are now
working in partnership to provide support and guidance to
struggling Māori businesses nationwide. “Together
an extra $1 million of funding will enable a needs
assessment for Māori businesses, and following this a
Māori business response plan will be produced and
implemented,” Kelvin Davis said. “Our team are
already responding and assisting Māori businesses
nationwide. “This extra funding boost will give them
more resource to help more people,” Kelvin Davis
said. Kelvin Davis says funding of $470,000 has also
been reprioritised to Te Arawhiti to engage and work with
iwi on their COVID-19 pandemic response
plans. “It’s great to see iwi around Aotearoa
stepping up to support their communities with their own
local pandemic response plans,” Kelvin Davis
said. “We’ve now enabled Te Arawhiti to utilise
its engagement expertise to work with Māori on these
plans. “Together, our Government and iwi can help
whānau protect their loved ones from the impacts of
COVID-19,” Kelvin Davis said. Employment Minister Willie Jackson says the
Government’s employment and skills programme for young
people, He Poutama Rangatahi, is well-placed to assist with
the Māori response effort. “Our programmes are run
in four regions with high Māori populations and where we
have some of our most disadvantaged communities,” Willie
Jackson said. “I have asked officials to vary the
contracts for these programmes, to enable over 2000 young
people to work alongside Māori health providers and Whānau
Ora Navigators, to deliver important community and health
services to Māori, particularly our kuia, kaumatua and
those already isolated,” Willie Jackson said. Peeni
Henare says this tailored package will provide the
additional help needed to support Māori communities and
businesses through COVID-19. “My Māori ministerial
colleagues and I know we must act now to protect our people,
particularly our kaumātua and those who already have
significant health issues,” Peeni Henare
said. “Times like these can be incredibly stressful
so it’s important that we make manaakitanga and
kōtahitanga the centre of our response. “Nāu te
rourou, nāku te rourou, ka ora ai te iwi – through
collective contribution our communities can stay safe and
healthy,” Peeni Henare
said.Hon Peeni
Henare
Associate Minister of Health
Minister
for Whānau Ora
Hon Kelvin Davis
Minister of
Tourism
Minister for Māori Crown
Relations:
Te Arawhiti
Hon Willie
Jackson
Minister of Employment
Hon Nanaia
Mahuta
Minister for Māori
Development
22 March
2020 PĀNUI PĀPĀHO
MEDIA
STATEMENT
Supporting Māori
communities and businesses
through
COVID-19
Whānau Māori Community and
Mārae package
Māori Health and Whānau Ora
response
Supporting Māori Businesses and
engaging with Māori
Redeploying our
rangatahi