The Pacific community in Christchurch has called on the city council to work with them to ensure Pacific Island families can get through the economic downturn.
Twelve thousand Pacific people in Christchurch make up about three percent of the population.
Community leader, Tufuga Lagatule, organised a meeting with the mayor, Bob Parker, and about sixty Pacific business people and families.
She says they must work together to put their plans into action.
"The Pacific Island business people needed to come to and look at it themselves and what is happening for them as well as the people to whom they employed as well as the families to whom they employed."
A higher proportion of Pacific people are unemployed and Tufuga Lagatule says they are having to learn fast how to cope with less.
