The following lists events that happened during 2017 in New Zealand.
Population National Estimated populations as at 30 June. For urban areas, New Zealand total – 4,793,700 North Island – 3,677,200 South Island – 1,115,800
Main urban areas Estimated populations as at 30 June.
Auckland – 1,534,700 Blenheim – 31,300 Christchurch – 396,700 Dunedin – 120,200 Gisborne – 36,600 Hamilton – 235,900 Invercargill – 50,800 Kapiti – 42,300 Napier-Hastings – 133,000 Nelson – 66,700 New Plymouth – 57,500 Palmerston North – 85,300 Rotorua – 58,800 Tauranga – 137,900 Wellington – 412,500 Whanganui – 40,300 Whangārei – 57,700
Incumbents
Regal and vice-regal Head of State – Elizabeth II Governor-General – Patsy Reddy
Government 2017 is the third and final full year of the 51st Parliament, which first sat on 21 October 2014 and was dissolved on 17 August 2017. A general election was held on 23 September to elect the 52nd Parliament.
The Fifth National Government, first elected in 2008, ends. The Sixth Labour Government begins.
Speaker of the House – David Carter, then Trevor Mallard from 8 November Prime Minister – Bill English until 26 October, then Jacinda Ardern Deputy Prime Minister – Paula Bennett until 26 October, then Winston Peters Leader of the House – Gerry Brownlee until 2 May, then Simon Bridges until 26 October, then Chris Hipkins Minister of Finance – Steven Joyce until 26 October, then Grant Robertson Minister of Foreign Affairs – Murray McCully until 2 May, then Gerry Brownlee until 26 October, then Winston Peters
Other party leaders Labour – Andrew Little until 1 August, then Jacinda Ardern (Leader of the Opposition until 26 October) Green – James Shaw and, until 9 August, Metiria Turei New Zealand First – Winston Peters Māori Party – Te Ururoa Flavell and Marama Fox ACT New Zealand – David Seymour United Future – Peter Dunne until 23 August, then Damian Light until 14 November (party disbanded)
Judiciary Chief Justice – Sian Elias President of the Court of Appeal – Stephen Kós Chief High Court judge – Geoffrey Venning Chief District Court judge – Jan-Marie Doogue
Main centre leaders Mayor of Auckland – Phil Goff Mayor of Tauranga – Greg Brownless Mayor of Hamilton – Andrew King Mayor of Wellington – Justin Lester Mayor of Christchurch – Lianne Dalziel Mayor of Dunedin – Dave Cull
Events
February
6 February – Sapphire Jubilee of Elizabeth II's accession as Queen of New Zealand 13 February – Fires in Hawke's Bay cause a state of emergency to be declared in Hastings. 13 February to 20 April – Wild fires burn on the Port Hills of Christchurch 22 February – The Canterbury Earthquake National Memorial opens on the sixth anniversary of the 2011 Christchurch earthquake 25 February – Mount Albert by-election takes place
March 7 March – Jacinda Ardern is elected deputy leader of the Labour Party March – Pumpkin Patch is put into liquidation
April 4 April – State of emergencies are declares in the Whanganui and Rangitikei districts in anticipation of ex tropical Cyclone Debbie. 6 April – A state of emergency is declared as the town of Edgecumbe is evacuated due to flooding caused by the remnants of Cyclone Debbie 13–14 April – Cyclone Cook, now an extratropical cyclone, moves across the North Island 24 April – Gerry Brownlee resigns from his portfolio of Minister for Supporting Greater Christchurch Regeneration.
May 25 May – The 2017 New Zealand budget is presented to Parliament by the Minister of Finance, Steven Joyce
June 5 June – The 2017 Queen's Birthday Honours are announced
July 19–21 July – Severe flooding hits the east coast of the South Island between Christchurch and Balclutha 21 July – Mycoplasma bovis disease is found in a South Island herd of cows
August 1 August – Jacinda Ardern elected leader of the Labour Party after Andrew Little resigns
September 23 September – The 2017 general election is held
October 26 October – Jacinda Ardern is sworn in as the 40th Prime Minister of New Zealand 31 October – Trolleybuses are withdrawn from service in Wellington
November
9 November – The New Zealand Police and Facebook launch an online Amber alert system to notify the public of missing children.
December 4 December – The Healthy Homes Guarantee Act 2017 receives royal assent, having passed its third reading in Parliament on 29 November 30 December – The 2018 New Year Honours are announced
Sport
Rugby union 2017 British & Irish Lions tour to New Zealand, 3 June – 8 July
Shooting Ballinger Belt – Jim Bailey (Australia) Brian Carter (Te Puke), third, top New Zealander
Births 9 November – Johnny Get Angry, Thoroughbred racehorse 20 November – Mo'unga, Thoroughbred racehorse
Deaths
January 7 January Nick Calavrias, businessman (Steel & Tube) (born 1949). Sir Bruce Slane, lawyer and public servant, chair of the Broadcasting Tribunal (1977–1990), president of the New Zealand Law Society (1982–1985), Privacy Commissioner (1992–2003) (born 1931). 8 January – Elspeth Kennedy, Hall of Fame sharebroker, community leader (born 1931). 9 January Michael Chamberlain, pastor, exonerated in the death of Azaria Chamberlain (born 1944). Joe Harawira, environmental campaigner against PCP poisoning (born 1946). Brown Turei, Anglican prelate, Pīhopa o Tairāwhiti (since 1992), Pīhopa o Aotearoa (since 2005), Primate of New Zealand (since 2005) (born 1924). 10 January – Heather McPherson, feminist poet, editor and publisher, co-founder of Spiral (1975) (born 1942). 11 January – Newman Hoar, cricketer (Wairarapa, Wellington, Nelson) (born 1920). 23 January – Pat Downey, lawyer and public servant, chair of Radio New Zealand (1974–1976), Chief Human Rights Commissioner (1977–1983), general editor of The Laws of New Zealand (1991–1995) (born 1927). 24 January – Manu Maniapoto, rugby union player (Bay of Plenty, New Zealand Māori) (born 1935). 26 January – Dame Laurie Salas, women's rights and peace activist, secretary (1976–1980) and vice president (1982–1986) of the National Council of Women (born 1922).
February 1 February – Bernie Portenski, athlete (born 1949) 4 February – John Dickson, poet (born 1944) 8 February – Steve Sumner, association footballer (born 1955) 12 February – Sione Lauaki, rugby union player (born 1981) 13 February – Jim Watson, biotechnologist and entrepreneur (born 1943) 14 February – John Watkinson, soil chemist (born 1932) 19 February – Halaevalu Mataʻaho ʻAhomeʻe, Tongan royal (born 1926) 27 February – Lyn Barnett, singer (born 1945) (body discovered on this date)
March 1 March – Tania Dalton, netball player (born 1971) 3 March – Bramwell Cook, gastroenterologist (born 1936) 6 March – Dudley Storey, rower (born 1939) 12 March Murray Ball, cartoonist (born 1939) Eunice Eichler, midwife, open adoption advocate (born 1932) 15 March – Phil Garland, folk musician (born 1942) 23 March – Nigel Hutchinson, film producer and commercial director (born 1941) 24 March – Roger Bradley, cricketer (born 1962) 25 March – Eric Watson, rugby union player and coach, cricketer (born 1925) 27 March Shirley Annan, netball player (born 1940) Sean Roberts, cricket (born 1968)
April 3 April Tomairangi Paki, Tainui kuia, kapa haka exponent (born 1953) Bruce Palmer, lawyer, judge (born 1935) Bill Tinnock, rower (born 1930) 6 April – John Anslow, field hockey player (born 1935) 7 April – Robin Kay, artist, historian (born 1919) 8 April – Sir Douglas Myers, businessman (born 1938) 9 April – John Clarke, satirist (born 1948) 18 April – Digby Taylor, sailor (born 1941) 19 April – Jill Amos, politician, activist (born 1927) 20 April David Dougherty, wrongly convicted of rape and abduction (born 1967) Sandy McNicol, rugby union player (born 1944) 27 April Danny O'Connor, lawn bowls player Alexia Pickering, disabilities rights campaigner (born 1930)
May 2 May – Hugo Judd, diplomat (born 1939) 3 May – Doug Rollerson, rugby union and rugby league player (born 1953) 4 May Rosie Scott, author (born 1948) Beryl Te Wiata, actor, author, scriptwriter (born 1925) 6 May – Lyn McLean, lawn bowls player (born ) 13 May – Nicholas Tarling, historian, academic, author (born 1931) 15 May – Graeme Barrow, author (born 1936) 17 May – Kevin Stanton, musician (born 1956) 18 May – George Martin, rugby league player, field athlete (born 1931) 25 May – Earl Hagaman, hotel operator (born 1925)
June 11 June – Lois McIvor, artist (born 1930) 15 June – Dame Ngāneko Minhinnick, Ngāti Te Ata leader (born 1939) 21 June – Oliver Jessel, businessman (born 1929) 24 June – Nick Kirk, Anglican cleric (born 1958) 25 June – David Goldsmith, field hockey player (born 1931) 26 June Sir Duncan McMullin, jurist (born 1927) Guy Ngan, artist (born 1926) 27 June – Jacinta Gray, cyclist (born 1974) 28 June – Bruce Stewart, author, playwright, marae founder (born 1936) 29 June – Marrion Roe, Olympic swimmer (born 1935)
July 3 July – Rolf Prince, chemical engineering academic (born 1928) 5 July Chris de Freitas, climatologist (born 1948) John Karlsen, actor (born 1919) 7 July – Frank Ryan, local-body politician (born 1932) 8 July – Gay Eaton, textile artist (born 1933) 10 July – Marama Martin, radio and television personality (born 1930) 12 July – Allan Hunter, rugby union player, teacher, historian (born 1922) 15 July – Michael Cooper, economist (born 1938) 16 July – Cliff Whiting, artist, master carver, heritage advocate (born 1936) 17 July – George Hill, agronomist (born 1938) 18 July – Ian Mason, cricketer (born 1942) 23 July Wenceslaus Anthony, businessman (born 1957) Tom Lister, rugby union player (born 1943)
August 2 August Sir John Graham, rugby union player and administrator, educator (born 1935) Paul Renton, rugby union player, farmer (born 1962) 4 August – Trevor Martin, cricket umpire (born 1925) 6 August – Tim Homer, radio personality (born 1973) 10 August Dorothy Fletcher, historian (born 1927) Sheila Natusch, naturalist, writer, illustrator (born 1926) 14 August – J. S. Parker, painter (born 1944) 15 August – Tui Flower, food writer (born 1925) 19 August – Alan Sayers, athlete, journalist, writer (born 1915) 20 August – Sir Colin Meads, rugby union player, coach and manager (born 1936) 22 August – Tom Pritchard, cricketer (born 1917)
September 5 September – Cedric Hassall, chemist, academic (born 1919) 9 September – Sir Pat Goodman, businessman, philanthropist (born 1929) 11 September – Malcolm Templeton, diplomat (born 1924) 15 September – Alma Evans-Freke, television presenter (born 1931) 16 September – Andrew Leachman, master mariner (born 1945) 18 September – Tony Laffey, association footballer (born 1925) 19 September – John Nicholson, motor racing driver and engine builder (born 1941) 21 September David Beatson, journalist, broadcaster (born 1944) Vera Burt, cricketer, hockey player, coach and administrator (born 1927) 26 September – Wanda Cowley, children's writer (born 1924) 29 September Annette Johnson, alpine skier (born 1928) Ian Smith, rugby union player (born 1941)
October 2 October – Peter Burke, rugby union player, coach and administrator (born 1927) 3 October – Norma Williams, swimmer, swimming administrator (born 1928) 12 October – Derek Steward, athlete (born 1928) 15 October – Francis Pound, art historian, curator and writer (born 1948) 19 October – Edmund Cotter, mountaineer (born 1927) 21 October – Dave Leech, hammer thrower (born 1927) 22 October – Sandy Thomas, military leader (born 1919) 23 October – Gordon Ogilvie, historian, biographer (born 1934) 29 October – Roly Green, rugby union player (born 1927) 30 October – James Beard, architect, town planner, landscape architect (born 1924) 31 October Norman Hardie, mountaineer (born 1924) Terry McCashin, rugby union player, brewer (born 1944)
November 5 November – Geoff Rothwell, World War II bomber pilot (born 1920)