Government ministers ask for regional input for job solutions following coronavirus.

The Government will spend more than $56 million on a specific Māori response action plan. The cross-sector announcement comes after growing criticism from the Māori community, iwi leaders and health experts.

Associate Health and Whānau Ora Minister Peeni Henare said the government's $12.1 billion economic package and $500m health fund includes Māori families, workers and businesses but a separate plan was needed because Māori have specific challenges.

"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," Henare said.

$30m will be targeted directly to Māori Health services and a further $15m to Whānau Ora commissioning agencies to support vulnerable whānau.

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"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," said Henare.

Health experts were so worried by the lack of coronavirus planning for Māori by the government, they formed their own group to coordinate a nationwide response.

The Māori pandemic group called Te Rōpu Whakakaupapa Uruta was setup by health professionals to provide expert public health advice for whānau, Māori health providers, community groups and iwi.

Te Rōpu Whakakaupapa Uruta was critical of the lack of a Māori response to the pandemic. One of its three co-leaders, Dr Rawiri Jansen said, "If the government continues to ignore Māori considerations, whānau Māori will be most affected by this pandemic."

Māori struggle with poverty and underlying health issues at a greater rate than non-Māori. Jansen said the lack of a pandemic plan for Māori exposes racist policies underpinning the current health system.

Māori Development Minister Nanaia Mahuta said she would reprioritise $10m to focus on the welfare of whānau Māori. They will work with Māori health providers to assist with the response.

ROBYN EDIE/STUFF Associate Health and Whānau Ora Minister Peeni Henare said "We know that we need to help our people and provide targeted support to Māori businesses and help our vulnerable Māori communities."

Minister of Tourism and Māori Crown Relations: Te Arawhiti Kelvin Davis said NZ Māori Tourism and the Federation of Māori Authorities are now working in partnership to provide support and guidance to struggling Māori businesses nationwide.

$1m of funding will be used to develop a resource to assess Māori businesses. A Māori business response plan will then be produced and implemented," Davis said. $470,000 has also been reprioritised to Te Arawhiti to engage and work with iwi on their Covid-19 pandemic response plans.

National list MP Jo Hayes said the $1m being spent on a needs assessment for Māori businesses is a waste of funding.

"The government just needs to listen to what whānau, hapū and iwi and the commissioning agencies are saying and act accordingly. They know what's happening on the ground."

Hayes said it's taken too long for the Māori ministers to get their act together and respond to Māori. The package was a good start but more work is needed.

"I'm quite concerned about Māori tourism businesses," said Hayes. "I hope some of that package that went to Tourism New Zealand starts to flow down to Māori tourism businesses."

She said Māori health providers need help to get their testing stations up and running.

PIERS FULLER/STUFF The government will spend nearly $57m on a specific Māori coronavirus response action plan.

Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency Chair Merepeka Raukawa-Tait is welcoming the package from government.

The agency had already started its own initiative to dispatch 10,000 hygiene packages to families with another 20,000 to be sent out in the next two weeks.

She said the generalised public health packages are designed for clinics that don't serve the majority of Māori. The funding earmarked for Māori will provide for Māori-led, Māori-specific vaccination programmes to address equity issues, include a targeted health promotion campaign and support its workforce.

"It is timely that we finally get funded to support initiatives by Māori to Māori for Māori," said Raukawa-Tait.

Iwi leaders and Māori organisations across the country have independently been developing their own coronavirus action plan from closing marae to dealing with tangihanga, traditional funerals and culturally appropriate social distancing.

Te Whānau A Apanui iwi declared it would set up illegal roadblocks and checkpoints to keep Covid-19 out of its remote East Cape area. The nearest hospital was 180 kilometres away and there were no GPs in places like Hicks Bay.

"We really don't want visitors coming to our area, who may have come from overseas, we don't know, or who may not have been abiding by the 14-day self-isolation," said local resident Ani Pahiru Huriwai.

Tairawhiti Area Commander Inspector Sam Aberahama asked communities to rethink road blocks. "We know the community is very concerned about Covid-19, but this is illegal," said Aberahama.

Hayes said it showed there is real desperation in Māori communities in need of help.

Employment Minister Willie Jackson has redirected 2000 workers from the He Poutama Rangatahi, a Government initiative for 15-24 years olds at risk of long-term unemployment, to assist with the delivery of services.

"Our programmes are run in four regions with high Māori populations and where we have some of our most disadvantaged communities," Jackson said.

The package will provide the additional help needed to support Māori communities and businesses through Covid-19, said Henare.

"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," Henare said.

"Times like these can be incredibly stressful so it's important that we make manaakitanga (support) and kōtahitanga (unity) 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."