The Green Party has pledged to restore New Zealand’s school lunch programme to its previous model, expand it to hundreds more schools and provide permanent funding if elected.
According to a report by 1News, under the policy announced today, meal production would return to local providers, with the programme extended to 400 additional schools. The Greens say this would provide free lunches to a further 150,000 students.
The policy is estimated to cost $472 million in its first year, increasing to $602 million by 2030-31.
“The Green Party's school lunch programme will feed kids and local economies, not the pockets of corporations,” co-leader Marama Davidson said, 1News has quoted.
The Government reduced funding for the previous programme, arguing it was too costly. The current scheme provides lunches for about $3.60 each, with the Government saying the changes will deliver significant savings.
The Greens instead want to increase spending per lunch to $6.50 and return production to local suppliers.
“School lunches are about more than food. They are about investing in our children’s futures, creating local jobs and supporting local food producers,” Davidson said, as quoted by 1News.
“We know that our tamariki learn better when they are well fed. Every child across Aotearoa deserves healthy, delicious, locally prepared kai that helps them thrive,” 1News has quoted.
Davidson also criticised the current programme, claiming changes had cost local jobs and affected the nutritional quality of meals.
“Slashing the school lunch programme’s funding and removing contracts from local providers cost New Zealanders hundreds of local jobs, left half of meals failing minimum nutritional standards and increased food waste. The cut-price programme doesn't even have secure funding beyond 2028,” as quoted by 1News.
“We can afford to feed our children nutritious kai and put money back into our local communities. We can afford all of this and more with a fair tax system, for all of us," 1News has quoted.
The proposal comes after an Auditor-General report in June raised concerns about the Government’s ability to demonstrate whether the current programme was meeting its objectives.
According to 1News, the report found the redesigned scheme had reduced costs compared with the previous model but said its performance was not being adequately monitored. It also identified concerns around contingency planning and changes made after contracts had been signed.
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has defended the current model, saying it has delivered millions of meals while reducing costs.
“Since the beginning of Term 1 2025, the Programme has delivered over 48 million meals to over 1,000 schools," Seymour said in May, 1News has quoted.
"By the end of 2027, the Programme is expected to save about $360 million compared to how Labour funded it, as quoted by 1News.
“The Programme continues to improve. After fixing some teething issues, the Programme now delivers a good service. On-time delivery is almost 100 per cent every day and complaints have fallen by over 92 per cent. We are getting the same results as the old programme, but cheaper," 1News has quoted.
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