School Lunch Program Under Fire | Auckland News

Auckland News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now! · Jul 2, 2026 · 1m

The Ministry of Education’s school lunch program is under fire after revealing it spent $130,000 on travel alone in one year—despite being designed to cut costs. With 37 full-time staff, including 9 managers and 22 senior advisors, plus a “development chef” and two communications advisors who handled 1,500+ requests, the program’s staffing looks bloated. Since 2025, 12 new hires have joined, with salaries totaling at least $1.1 million annually—half earning over $100,000. Travel expenses are outrageous: the general manager spent $17,000 flying between Wellington and Rotorua, while another…