North Island Weather Events - Food Secure Communities - Budget 2023

Supporting the community food sector in regions affected by Cyclone Gabrielle and the Auckland floods - Wellbeing Budget 2023.

This initiative will support continued community food provision in regions affected by North Island Weather Events.

The Government is investing $6 million over two years (2022/23 and 2023/24) to fund community food provision in regions affected by the North Island Weather Events (NIWE) helping to ensure access to affordable, healthy, and culturally appropriate food.

• NIWE have highlighted the vulnerability of many isolated communities to food insecurity and increased the need for emergency food support.
• Iwi and community providers were the first responders to food welfare needs in their communities following the flooding events. Their ability to respond was enhanced by the investment made to the infrastructure, capacity and capability as part of the COVID-19 welfare response.
• Funding will purchase bulk supplies of food at discounted rates and support community food providers to meet the increased demand for their services.
• Funding is split across:
  • $1.2 million in 2022/23 and $2 million in 2023/24 for contributary grants to key community food providers to meet increased demand
  • $0.8 million in 2022/23 and $1 million in 2023/24 for the New Zealand Food Network (NZFN) to bulk purchase essential food stocks to distribute to key food hubs in the affected regions, and
  • $1 million in 2023/24 to strengthen community food distribution infrastructure in the affected regions.