2017 in New Zealand

The following lists events that happened during 2017 in New Zealand.

Population

National

Estimated populations as at 30 June.

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 New Zealand Labour Party|Labour Government of New Zealand|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
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

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

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
* Brian Carter, 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 .
* Sir Bruce Slane, lawyer and public servant, chair of the Broadcasting Tribunal, president of the New Zealand Law Society, Privacy Commissioner .
8 January – Elspeth Kennedy, Hall of Fame sharebroker, community leader.
9 January
* Michael Chamberlain, pastor, exonerated in the death of Azaria Chamberlain.
* Joe Harawira, environmental campaigner against PCP poisoning.
* Brown Turei, Anglican prelate, Pīhopa o Tairāwhiti, Pīhopa o Aotearoa, Primate of New Zealand .
10 January – Heather McPherson, feminist poet, editor and publisher, co-founder of Spiral .
11 January – Newman Hoar, cricketer .
23 January – Pat Downey, lawyer and public servant, chair of Radio New Zealand, Chief Human Rights Commissioner, general editor of The Laws of New Zealand .
24 January – Manu Maniapoto, rugby union player .
26 January – Dame Laurie Salas, women's rights and peace activist, secretary and vice president of the National Council of Women.