2016 in New Zealand

National

Estimated populations as at 30 June.^[1]

• New Zealand total – 4,693,000
• North Island – 3,596,200
• South Island – 1,096,200

Main urban areas

Estimated populations as at 30 June.^[1]

• Head of State – Elizabeth II
• Governor-General – Jerry Mateparae^[2] until 31 August, then Patsy Reddy from 28 September.

• 
  Elizabeth II
• 
  Jerry Mateparae
• 
  Patsy Reddy

2016 is the second full year of the 51st Parliament, which first sat on 21 October 2014.

The Fifth National Government, first elected in 2008, continues.

• Speaker of the House – David Carter
• Prime Minister – John Key (until 12 December), then Bill English
• Deputy Prime Minister – Bill English (until 12 December), then Paula Bennett
• Leader of the House – Gerry Brownlee
• Minister of Finance – Bill English, then (from 20 December) Steven Joyce
• Minister of Foreign Affairs – Murray McCully

• 
  David Carter
• 
  John Key
• 
  Bill English
• 
  Paula Bennett
• 
  Gerry Brownlee
• 
  Steven Joyce
• 
  Murray McCully

• Labour – Andrew Little
• Green – James Shaw and Metiria Turei
• New Zealand First – Winston Peters
• Māori Party – Te Ururoa Flavell and Marama Fox
• ACT New Zealand – David Seymour
• United Future – Peter Dunne

• 
  Andrew Little
• 
  James Shaw
• 
  Metiria Turei
• 
  Winston Peters
• 
  Te Ururoa Flavell
• 
  Marama Fox
• 
  David Seymour
• 
  Peter Dunne

• Chief Justice – Sian Elias
• President of the Court of Appeal – Ellen France, and then Stephen Kós from 22 July
• Chief High Court judge – Geoffrey Venning
• Chief District Court judge – Jan-Marie Doogue

• 
  Sian Elias
• 
  Ellen France
• 
  Stephen Kós

• Mayor of Auckland – Len Brown, then from 1 November Phil Goff
• Mayor of Tauranga – Stuart Crosby, then from 31 October Greg Brownless
• Mayor of Hamilton – Julie Hardaker, then from 9 November Andrew King
• Mayor of Wellington – Celia Wade-Brown, then from 26 October Justin Lester
• Mayor of Christchurch – Lianne Dalziel
• Mayor of Dunedin – Dave Cull

• 
  Len Brown
• 
  Phil Goff
• 
  Stuart Crosby
• 
  Greg Brownless
• 
  Julie Hardaker
• 
  Andrew King
• 
  Celia Wade-Brown
• 
  Justin Lester
• 
  Lianne Dalziell
• 
  Dave Cull

• 8 February – Operation Neptune begins.^[3]
• 14 February – A significant aftershock in Christchurch causes some cliffs to collapse.^[4]

• 3–24 March – Second referendum on changing the country's flag – existing flag retained.^[5]
• 11 March – Parliament passes legislation to outlaw zero-hour contracts.^[6]

• 18 April – The Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority is disestablished.^[7]

• 6 June – The 2016 Queen's Birthday Honours are announced.^[8]

• 5–21 August – 132 athletes from New Zealand compete at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

• 2 September – A 7.1 magnitude earthquake strikes north-east of Te Araroa.^[9]

• 8 October – The 2016 local elections are held.

• 14 November – A M_W 7.8 earthquake strikes Kaikōura at midnight, killing two people.
• 22 November – Operation Neptune ends.

• 5 December – John Key announces that he will step down as prime minister and leader of the National Party on 12 December.
• 12 December – Bill English is sworn in as New Zealand's 39th prime minister, following the resignation of John Key.
• 15 December – Amazon Prime Video launches in New Zealand.^[10]
• 31 December – The 2017 New Year Honours are announced.^[11]

• Benny Award presented by the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand to Suzanne Prentice.

• 54th Halberg Awards (awarded 9 February 2017 for the 2016 calendar year)
  • Supreme Award – Lisa Carrington (canoeing)
  • Sportsman of the Year – Mahé Drysdale (rowing)
  • Sportswoman of the Year – Lisa Carrington (canoeing)
  • Team of the Year – Men's 49er class: Peter Burling & Blair Tuke (sailing)
  • Disabled Sportsperson of the Year – Liam Malone (athletics)
  • Coach of the Year – Gordon Walker (canoeing)
  • Emerging Talent – Campbell Stewart (cycling)

• New Zealand sends a team of 199 competitors across 20 sports.
• Sprint canoeist Lisa Carrington becomes the first New Zealand women to win two medals in the same Olympic Games.

Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
4	9	5	18

• Swimmer Sophie Pascoe overtakes Eve Rimmer to become New Zealand's most successful Paralympian in terms of medals won.

Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
9	5	7	21

• New Zealand Secondary School Championships (Maadi Cup)
  • Maadi Cup (boys U18 eight) – Christ's College
  • Levin 75th Jubilee Cup (girls U18 eight) – Diocesan School for Girls
  • Star Trophy (overall points) – St Peter's School (Cambridge)

• Ballinger Belt – Malcolm Dodson (Kaituna/Blenheim)^[12]

• New Zealand sends a team of 11 competitors in five sports.

Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
0	1	1	2