The two groups are to seek funding from external sources to pay a researcher to determine the number of Pasifika people living in the district.
Council community services group manager Thunes Cloete said official government statistics were unreliable because of various factors, including the way information was gathered.
"That affects our social services we’re getting from the Government," Dr Cloete said.
"They work on the numbers, so if the numbers are wrong we’re not getting the help and assistance needed.
"We need to get someone who can give us valid numbers and that’s valid for the Government and Statistics New Zealand."
Dr Cloete said the data affected the whole community.
"This is part of the issue we’ve got with our funding for our health services."
He said the only indication the current figures were wrong was observational.
"The only proof is we believe the [Govt] numbers are not what’s actually on the ground."
