Cancellation of rural school bus services ‘devastating’
Rural Women New Zealand’s (RWNZ) new president, Sandra Matthews, says the cancellation of rural school bus services could have devastating consequences.
Associate Education Minister David Seymour says the programme delivers lunches to over 240,000 children.
“It is a great opportunity for enterprises in the food industry to be a part of one of the biggest food programmes in the country,” says Seymour.
Earlier this year, Seymour announced the redesigned programme which is set to be delivered from the first term of the 2025 school year.
The programme has been redesigned in an effort to ensure that students who need the greatest support receive it in a way that reduces costs and surplus food and waste.
“The next in the process is for enterprises with existing food infrastructures across communities to register their interest and pitch for being part of a more efficient Healthy School Lunches programme,” Seymour says.
Registration of interest in the Healthy School Lunches programme will be open on the Government Electronic Tender Service (GETS) website from Monday 12 August 2024.
Seymour says the Ministry of Education and an advisory group consisting of commercial and not-for-profit experts in procurement, logistics, and contracting, as well as child welfare and nutrition have worked hard to realise the redesigned programme.
“We know that through improved practice we can deliver delicious lunches for the children for a lot less than what the previous Government spent on each meal,” he adds.
Seymour says there has been engagement with representatives from schools, boards, and sector leaders.
“I acknowledge this is a very important project at this time due to the current cost of living and food insecurity which impacts the most vulnerable children,” he says. “I am excited for the market, not just because of the commercial opportunity in this challenging economic environment but because it supports some of New Zealand’s most vulnerable children.”
