New Zealand’s largest foodbanks are warning of widespread closures if the government does not provide ongoing funding beyond next year. Organisations including The Salvation Army, Auckland City Mission, and the New Zealand Food Network have so far relied on one-off grants running until mid-2026 but are urging the government to commit to sustainable funding.
Sonya Cameron, Salvation Army food security manager, said preparations are already underway to stock foodbanks for next year, but the future remains uncertain. “It’s a very high risk. Salvation Army will stay open, but other organisations are even more vulnerable. We’ve already seen a lot of foodbanks close down in the past,” she said. Without continued support, the Salvation Army may have to reduce the amount of food distributed across its 60 foodbanks, affecting thousands of New Zealanders who rely on these services.
Auckland City Missioner Helen Robinson echoed these concerns, highlighting the daily demand for food from people struggling to make ends meet. “Every year we’re left wondering if we’ll be funded. It’s unsustainable. We need to plan, staff, and stock our foodbanks with confidence. That’s impossible when we constantly have to re-justify our existence each year,” she said. Robinson warned that if funding ceased, some foodbanks would have no choice but to close, increasing pressure on remaining services and leaving some whānau without access to food.
The Salvation Army and Auckland City Mission are among the foodbanks that received one-off government grants this year, which allowed them to maintain their food parcel distributions. These grants, administered through the Ministry of Social Development’s Food Secure Communities programme, run until June 2026. Funding began during the pandemic in 2020, with over $200 million invested over four years, though since then support has largely been one-off.
Tracey Watene, head of the Aotearoa Food Rescue Alliance, stressed the importance of rescued food as part of foodbanks’ operations. “If funding drops off, thousands of meals will disappear, millions of kilos of edible kai will be wasted, staff will be lost, and services will close. The entire food support network will be weakened just when New Zealanders need it most,” she said. Watene added that multi-year funding would provide stability, allowing more food to reach more whānau.
Gavin Findlay, CEO of the New Zealand Food Network, said the lack of a long-term government commitment leaves providers in limbo. “Christmas is a time when many think about giving, but hunger isn’t seasonal. More than 500,000 New Zealanders rely on foodbanks and food rescue organisations for support,” he said, noting that many frontline teams see families regularly returning for help despite careful budgeting and work.
MSD’s General Manager for Pacific and Community Capability Programmes, Serena Curtis, said the ministry has invested over $200 million through the Food Secure Communities programme since 2020 and emphasized that funding is time-limited. She added that an evaluation of the programme is expected in early 2026. From July to September this year alone, MSD provided $32.5 million for 327,705 food grants, supporting national and regional food distribution infrastructure and strengthening connections among community food providers.
