A long-term solution is needed to address the rising cost of living for New Zealand's hard-hit Pacific communities, a Pacific academic says.
Associate Professor at AUT's Centre for Pacific Health and Development Research, El-Shadan Tautolo, said many Pacific people were struggling to cope with the basics.
Photo: RNZ / Matthew Theunissen
Ahead of the government's budget announcement this Thursday he called for a long-term solution saying people could not rely on food parcels forever.
"We all know just in our daily lives, the rising cost of things - groceries and supermarket prices and petrol in Auckland anyway is just ridiculous you know - over $3," he said.
"That's having a huge impact on our communities."
Mr Tautolo has urged the government to address supermarket and petrol prices.