The Government is ploughing more than $100 million into regional employment, focused on Māori and Pasifika people.
It's one of a series of announcements made in the lead-up to Waitangi Day.
The lion's share of the funding will go to five regions the Government says need extra help. They are Northland, Bay of Plenty, Tairāwhiti, Hawke's Bay and Manawatū-Whanganui.
Those regions face issues including high unemployment, low wages and lower productivity compared with the rest of New Zealand.
And some Tauranga families are turning to foodbanks for school lunches, as back-to-school costs mount.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.