Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: I also recently announced, alongside the Mayors Taskforce for Jobs, another extension of a pilot which supports rural councils to implement employment initiatives focused on connecting youth with local small businesses. This extension will see 19 additional rural councils able to access up to $500,000 each to create sustainable employment positions in their regions. The initiative was piloted with four councils—Ōpōtiki, Central Hawke's Bay, Rangitīkei, and South Wairarapa—under alert level 2, and has been highly successful with three of the four councils meeting or exceeding their target of 30 employment outcomes within five weeks. Despite challenging circumstances during this COVID recovery period, we continue to see innovative partnerships like these having a positive effect on employment outcomes, local communities, and small businesses.