2013 in New Zealand

The following events happened in New Zealand in the year 2013.

Population

;National
Estimated populations as at 30 June.

New Zealand total – 4,442,100
North Island – 3,398,700
South Island – 1,042,800

;Main urban areas
Estimated populations as at 30 June.

Auckland – 1,381,800
Christchurch – 369,200
Dunedin – 115,100
Gisborne – 35,200
Hamilton – 214,800
Invercargill – 49,300
Kapiti – 40,700
Napier-Hastings – 127,600
Nelson – 63,300
New Plymouth – 54,800
Palmerston North – 81,500
Rotorua – 55,800
Tauranga – 125,700
Wellington – 389,600
Whanganui – 39,300
Whangārei – 53,600

Incumbents

Regal and vice-regal

Head of State – Elizabeth II
Governor-General – Jerry Mateparae

Government

2013 is the second full year of the 50th Parliament, which first sat on 20 December 2011 and will dissolve on 17 December 2014 if not dissolved prior. The Fifth National Government, first elected in 2008, continues.

Speaker of the House – Lockwood Smith to 31 January, then David Carter
Prime Minister – John Key
Deputy Prime Minister – Bill English
Leader of the House – Gerry Brownlee
Minister of Finance – Bill English
Minister of Foreign Affairs – Murray McCully

Other Party leaders

[New Zealand New Zealand Labour Party|Labour Party|Labour] – David Shearer to 15 September then David Cunliffe
Green – Russel Norman and Metiria Turei
New Zealand First – Winston Peters
Māori Party – Pita Sharples to 13 July then Te Ururoa Flavell, and Tariana Turia

Judiciary

Chief Justice – Sian Elias
President of the Court of Appeal – Mark O'Regan
Chief High Court judge – Helen Winkelmann
Chief District Court judge – Jan-Marie Doogue

Main centre leaders

Local elections for all city and district councils are held on 12 October.

Mayor of Auckland – Len Brown
Mayor of Tauranga – Stuart Crosby
Mayor of Hamilton – Julie Hardaker
Mayor of Wellington – Celia Wade-Brown
Mayor of Christchurch – Bob Parker to 12 October, then Lianne Dalziel
Mayor of Dunedin – Dave Cull

Arts and literature

Performing arts

Benny Award presented by the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand to Larry Morris.

Events

February

1 February – Callaghan Innovation, a new Crown entity, is launched to replace Industrial Research Limited and parts of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.

March

5 March – The 2013 New Zealand census of Population and Dwellings is held, a replacement for the 2011 census that was cancelled after the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake.
20 March – Popular breakfast spread Marmite returns to supermarket shelves, albeit still in limited supply, ending "Marmageddon". The sole production line had stopped in November 2011 due to earthquake damage at the Christchurch factory, which resulted in stocks running out in March 2012.

April

Police celebrate the second-equal lowest Easter road toll on record – three – second only to 2012's zero.
The Akaroa Marine Reserve is approved by the Minister of Conservation Nick Smith, 17 years after it was initially proposed.
17 April – The Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Bill passes its third reading, with New Zealand becoming the thirteenth country worldwide to pass laws legalising same-sex marriage.
20 April – The 2013 New Zealand gallantry awards are announced.
28 April – The South Island completes digital television transition when analogue television signals are switched off at 2:00 am.

May

20 May – A morning peak commuter train derails on the approach to Wellington railway station, puncturing a hole in a carriage's floor in the process. Four people are injured and thousands of commuters are stranded as the line into the city is blocked.

June

20–21 June – Wellington is hit by a storm, described to be the worst since the 1968 Wahine storm, with winds reaching 200 km/h. Thousands of homes lose power and part of the Hutt Valley rail line is washed out, causing severe congestion on roads for a week while it is repaired.
29 June – Meka Whaitiri wins the Ikaroa-Rāwhiti by-election, replacing the late Parekura Horomia.
30 June – The last of Christchurch's Central City Red Zone cordon is removed.

July

21 July – A series of earthquakes in Cook Strait, the largest of them 6.5 M_W, affect Wellington and the upper South Island.

August

16 August – A 6.6 M_W earthquake strikes under Lake Grassmere, Marlborough, affecting Wellington and the upper South Island.
19 August – The Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Bill comes into force, allowing same-sex couples to legally marry from this day.
22 August – David Shearer announces his resignation as leader of the Labour Party, fearing he no longer had the full confidence of his caucus.

September

15 September – David Cunliffe is elected leader of the Labour Party.
29 September – The Lower North Island and East Cape complete digital television transition when analogue television signals are switched off at 3:00 am.

October

7 October – After an appeal to the Privy Council, Mark Lundy's conviction for killing his wife and daughter in August 2000 is quashed and a retrial ordered.
12 October – Elections held for all local councils, regional councils and district health boards.
14 October – A state of emergency is declared in Manawatu-Wanganui due to flooding.

November

15 November — Over $1.1 billion is allocated to the rebuilding and repairing of 115 severely earthquake damaged schools in greater Christchurch within ten years, which accounts for 80 per cent of classrooms in the region.
30 November – Poto Williams wins the Christchurch East by-election, replacing Lianne Dalziel and retaining the seat for Labour.

December

1 December – The Upper North Island becomes the last region to complete digital television transition bringing to an end 53 years of analogue television broadcasts in New Zealand.
11 December – New Zealand's population reaches 4,500,000, according to Statistics New Zealand estimates.

Holidays and observances

6 February – Waitangi Day
25 April – Anzac Day
3 June – Queen's Birthday Monday
28 October – Labour Day

Sport

Awards

Halberg Awards
* Supreme Award – Lydia Ko
* Sportsman – Scott Dixon
* Sportswoman – Lydia Ko
* Team – All Blacks

Shooting

Ballinger Belt – John Snowden

Births

6 February – Geronimo, alpaca
10 May – Taufaʻahau Manumataongo, son of Crown Prince Tupoutoʻa ʻUlukalala and Princess Sinaitakala Fakafanua of Tonga
2 October – Gingernuts, Thoroughbred racehorse
8 October – Bonneval, Thoroughbred racehorse

Deaths

January

1 January – Lory Blanchard, rugby league player and coach
4 January – Guy Henderson, oboist
10 January – Bob Fenton, politician
12 January – Helen Brew, actor, birth campaigner, documentary filmmaker, educator and speech therapist
25 January – Lloyd Phillips, film producer