Queenstown Airport and KiwiHarvest working together to make a real difference

Queenstown Airport is joining forces with food rescue charity KiwiHarvest to help the community and the planet. KiwiHarvest tackles two big problems with one clever solution. It collects good food before it goes to waste and gets it to those in need.

However, it takes money to make that happen, and a funding crisis last year put the organisation’s work at risk.

Queenstown Airport has committed to providing $25,000 a year for three years to help cover operational costs and build the resilience of KiwiHarvest in the Southern Lakes region.

“We are big fans of KiwiHarvest’s work and see this partnership as a perfect pairing, because it addresses all three pillars of our Sustainability Strategy – People, Planet and Prosperity,” Queenstown Airport’s General Manager Sustainability and Corporate Affairs, Sara Irvine, says.

“It is a tangible way to support those in need in our community and to reduce waste, which is a particular focus for us at the moment.” “It also benefits our whole region, with surplus food collected from growers, supermarkets, and cafes delivered to charities in Queenstown, Wānaka, and Cromwell.”

KiwiHarvest’s Queenstown branch manager, Gary Hough, is delighted about the partnership. “This is another huge step on our road to being a locally funded sustainable operation, so we can’t thank the airport team enough, it makes a lot easier to now concentrate on rescuing more food and helping those in our community in their time of need.”

In the 2023 financial year, the amount of food rescued and redistributed by KiwiHarvest’s Queenstown branch equated to 382,097 meals.