1991 in New Zealand

• Estimated population as of 31 December: 3,516,000.^[1]
• Increase since 31 December 1990: 40,900 (1.18%) Note that there is a discontinuity between the 1990 and 1991 figures as Statistics NZ switched from using the de facto population concept to estimated resident population.
• Males per 100 Females: 99.7^[1]

• Head of State – Elizabeth II
• Governor-General – The Hon Dame Catherine Anne Tizard, GCMG, GCVO, DBE, QSO^[2]

The 43rd New Zealand Parliament continued. Government was The National Party, led by Jim Bolger. National controlled nearly seventy percent of the seats in Parliament.

• Speaker of the House – Robin Gray
• Prime Minister – Jim Bolger
• Deputy Prime Minister – Don McKinnon
• Minister of Finance – Ruth Richardson
• Minister of Foreign Affairs – Don McKinnon
• Chief Justice — Sir Thomas Eichelbaum

• Leader of the Opposition – Mike Moore (Labour) .^[3]
• NewLabour Party – Jim Anderton

• Mayor of Auckland – Les Mills
• Mayor of Hamilton – Margaret Evans
• Mayor of Wellington – Jim Belich
• Mayor of Christchurch – Vicki Buck
• Mayor of Dunedin – Richard Walls

• 2 January: description

• 17 April: Prime Minister Jim Bolger stated, "We intend to keep New Zealand nuclear-free this term, next term, and the term after that."^[4]

• 25 May – New Zealand Phone Number Update: Palmerston North and the Manawatū area switches to seven-digit local telephone numbers.^[5]

• 5 July – New Zealand Phone Number Update: Nelson and Blenheim switch to seven-digit local telephone numbers.^[6][7]
• 22 July The Resource Management Act 1991 passes into law after a third reading speech by Simon Upton.^[8]

• 16 August – New Zealand Phone Number Update: The Bay of Plenty region (including Tauranga, Rotorua, Whakatāne and Taupō) switches to seven-digit local telephone numbers.^[9]

• 1 October The Resource Management Act 1991 commences
• 25 October – New Zealand Phone Number Update: Wellington and the Kapiti Coast complete their switch to seven-digit local telephone numbers.^[10]

• 22 November– New Zealand Phone Number Update: New Plymouth and most of the Taranaki region switches to seven-digit local telephone numbers.^[11]
• 29 November– New Zealand Phone Number Update: Masterton and the Wairarapa area switches to seven-digit local telephone numbers. ^[12]

• Lynley Hood wins the Robert Burns Fellowship.

See 1991 in art, 1991 in literature, Category:1991 books

• Benny Award presented by the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand to Debbie Dorday.

• CanWest takes management control of TV3. Archived 22 February 2006 at the Wayback Machine

See: 1991 in New Zealand television, 1991 in television, List of TVNZ television programming, Category:Television in New Zealand, TV3 (New Zealand), Category:New Zealand television shows, Public broadcasting in New Zealand

• A Soldier's Tale
• Chunik Bair
• Grampire
• Old Scores
• Te Rua
• The End of the Golden Weather

See: Category:1991 film awards, 1991 in film, List of New Zealand feature films, Cinema of New Zealand, Category:1991 films

See: NZ Internet History

• Paul Herlihy wins his first national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:13:34 on 2 March in New Plymouth, while Lee-Ann McPhillips claims her first in the women's championship (2:40:12).

• New Zealand Trotting Cup – Christopher Vance^[13]
• Auckland Trotting Cup – Christopher Vance^[14]

• Ballinger Belt –
  • Graeme Berman (Australia)
  • Geoffrey Smith (Malvern), second, top New Zealander^[15]

• The Chatham Cup is won by Christchurch United who beat Wellington United 2–1 in the final.^[16]