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An example of a salad at a Queensland tuckshop. Tuckshop salads cost $4.85 on average versus $11.80 at a takeaway store.

Out of an election-year commitment for $15 million in the upcoming state budget for the School Community Food Relief Program,$10.65 million will be given directly to schools to support food programs,prioritising communities experiencing high cost-of-living pressures and food insecurity.

“I don’t want Queenslanders to choose between paying their rent or mortgage and putting food in their kid’s lunchbox,” Premier Steven Miles said.

Asked how the schools would be chosen,given many families are struggling with cost-of-living expenses,Miles said schools already had a system for assessing disadvantage.

“Schools have a well-established system for ranking their socio-economic status in order to be able to deliver support to the most disadvantaged and vulnerable students,and the education minister will use that system to ensure this gets to those who need it most,” Miles said.

Funding can be used by schools without existing programs to buy food and drinks,and equipment to support their breakfast or lunch programs,or schools can use the money to expand existing programs to include healthy snack breaks or other projects.

Schools can also hire a part-time food coordinator for up to 10 hours a week to help with the delivery of the program in the first year.

Wulguru State School,in North Queensland,already operates a free breakfast club and lunch program,supported by donations,while Rotary delivers sandwiches and fruit to the school.

The package also includes $1.3 million to support food and nutrition education to families of school-aged children,$3 million to support healthy food and drink initiatives generated by a new School and Community Food Taskforce,and $500,000 will be shared between five organisations to deliver healthy food and drink programs to 253 Queensland state schools.

About two in five Queensland families rely on the school tuckshop once a week or more. In New Zealand,about 235,000 students get a free lunch at school through a government program.

Greens MP Amy MacMahon said there were more than half-a-million state-school children in Queensland.

“$10 million really isn’t going to go very far – that’s only $20 per schoolkid each year,” she said.

“The Greens are pushing for $700 million a year to be invested in creating a universal,free,healthy breakfast and lunch program in every state school across Queensland.

“This would save parents money,improve attendance and concentration,and ensure every Queensland kid gets the best chance in life regardless of their circumstances.”

The government also announced another $68 million would be shared by 277 Queensland state schools to upgrade playgrounds and tuckshops.

Schools were able to apply for funding of up to half-a-million dollars to upgrade playgrounds,including to replace soft-fall surfacing and install shade covers,and for tuckshops to buy catering appliances and equipment,install stainless-steel benches and upgrade facilities.

Successful schools in Brisbane in the tranche three announcement made on Wednesday included Brisbane Central State School,Cannon Hill State School,Chapel Hill State School,Darra State School,Moorooka State School and Wooloowin State School.

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