The free school lunch program has been in the headlines here in Aotearoa for several weeks after facing significant impacts to their quality and delivery following a complete restructure of the program led by associate education minister David Seymour.
Many schools have reported late deliveries of meals beyond the lunch period, plastic packaging melting into the food and one student even experiencing burns from the packaging that required medical attention.
This, of course, has the greatest impact on the more than 150,000 Tamariki living in severe poverty, who relied on programs like Ka Ora Ka Ako to receive daily meals.
In response, the Child poverty action group has made a call to senior government ministers and Finance Minister Nicola Willis to restore the funding that was cut from the school lunches program so that schools across the motu could receive meals from local community suppliers.
Oto spoke to Rich Greissman - Deputy Chair of the Child Poverty Action Group's Governing Committee, to discuss the group’s call and why it’s important for the government to ensure the provision of healthy school lunches to Tamariki.
A petition was launched by Te Taiao o Kawhia Moana, a group dedicated to the protection and conservation of the Kāwhia harbour, calling on the Ōtorohanga District Council to remove vehicle access from vulnerable areas of the inner harbour and to Support the development of new alternative access infrastructure.
The group says that local taonga species and ecosystems are being put at risk by current vehicle access and that The proposed Ocean Beach access way would provide a sustainable alternative that balances community access needs with environmental protection.
For this week’s Gert Action! Oto spoke to John Forbes, founding Chair of Te Taiao o Kāwhia Moana, to discuss the petition and the importance of protecting the harbour.
If you're interested in signing this petition, you can find it here:
After an incredible Breakfast show due to a live performance by the one and only Reb Fountain, Elle attempts to match that freak with her show today. Listen back to see if she was able to do so.
Featuring a track premiere from Voom, Steve Newall's weekly review on Flicks 'n' That, track selections from Michael Llewellyn and a first spin of his latest single The Fish Song on What's Cooking, and Marlo Schorr-Kon speaks to Alien Weaponry about their new album Te Rā and their collab with Lamb Of God on the single Taniwha.
95bFM correspondent Marlo Schorr-Kon heads down to the Powerstation to chat to Alien Weaponry about their massive new album Te Rā, working with Lamb Of God, and how they've changed things up for this new release. Plus we hear their latest single Taniwha.
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