2020 in New Zealand

Incumbents

Regal and vice-regal

• Head of State – Elizabeth II
• Governor-General – Patsy Reddy

Government

• Speaker of the House – Trevor Mallard
• Prime Minister – Jacinda Ardern
• Deputy Prime Minister – Winston Peters until 6 November, then Grant Robertson
• Leader of the House – Chris Hipkins
• Minister of Finance – Grant Robertson
• Minister of Foreign Affairs – Winston Peters until 6 November, then Nanaia Mahuta

Other party leaders in parliament

• [New Zealand New Zealand National Party|National Party|National] – Simon Bridges until 22 May, then Todd Muller until 14 July, and then Judith Collins
• New Zealand First – Winston Peters until 17 October
• Green – James Shaw and Marama Davidson
• ACT – David Seymour
• Māori Party – Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer from 17 October

Judiciary

• Chief Justice – Helen Winkelmann
• President of the Court of Appeal – Stephen Kós
• Chief High Court judge – Geoffrey Venning, then from 1 June Susan Thomas
• Chief District Court judge – Heemi Taumaunu

Main centre leaders

• Mayor of Auckland – Phil Goff
• Mayor of Tauranga – Tenby Powell until 20 November, and then Tina Salisbury
• Mayor of Hamilton – Paula Southgate
• Mayor of Wellington – Andy Foster
• Mayor of Christchurch – Lianne Dalziel
• Mayor of Dunedin – Aaron Hawkins

Events

January

• 28 January – Jacinda Ardern announces the general election date to be 19 September.
• 29 January – The New Zealand Upgrade Programme is announced.

February

• 3 February – A state of emergency is declared in Milford Sound as rain and flooding hit the region.
• 5 February – Residents of Gore, Mataura and Wyndham are ordered to evacuate as the Mataura River bursts its banks.
• 28 February
• * COVID-19 in New Zealand: New Zealand's first case of the coronavirus is confirmed. They had recently returned from Iran via Bali.
• * Kiwibank stops issuing and accepting cheques as payment, becoming the first New Zealand bank to do so.

March

• 5 March – COVID-19 in New Zealand: Information of the first human transmission case of the coronavirus within New Zealand is released.
• 14 March – COVID-19 in New Zealand: Jacinda Ardern announces new measures to stop the spread of the coronavirus. These measures provide that all people who arrive in New Zealand must self-isolate for 14 days. Cruise ships are also banned from docking in New Zealand ports.
• 17 March – COVID-19 in New Zealand: A $12.1 billion scheme is announced by the government, due to the economic impact of coronavirus on New Zealand, including $5.1 billion for an income subsidy. This is the biggest peacetime government spend in history.
• 18 March - The New Zealand Parliament passes legislation decriminalising abortion.
• 19 March – COVID-19 in New Zealand: The Royal New Zealand Returned and Services' Association announces that all Anzac Day services, scheduled for 25 April, will be cancelled and the red poppy collection postponed due to the health risk. This is the first time that Anzac Day services have not been held since 1916.
• 21 March – COVID-19 in New Zealand: Ardern announces the [New Zealand coronavirus alert levels|COVID-19 New Zealand coronavirus alert levels|alert level system], with New Zealand initially being placed at alert level 2.
• 23 March – COVID-19 in New Zealand: New Zealand is placed at alert level 3.
• 25 March
• *COVID-19 in New Zealand: A State of National Emergency is declared in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• *COVID-19 in New Zealand: New Zealand is upgraded to alert level 4 at 11:59 pm, and the country enters lockdown for a period of at least four weeks.
• 26 March – The perpetrator of the 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings pleads guilty to all 51 murder charges, as well as 40 charges of attempted murder and one charge of engaging in a terrorist act laid under the Terrorism Suppression Act 2002.
• 29 March – COVID-19 in New Zealand: The first coronavirus-related death in New Zealand occurs, a woman in her 70s from Greymouth.

April

• 6 April – COVID-19 in New Zealand: Queen Elizabeth II makes a rare broadcast to the nation and the Commonwealth regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, her fifth televised broadcast outside of her Christmas Message.
• 8 April – Dunedin's Baldwin Street reclaims its title as the steepest residential street in the world after Ffordd Pen Llech in Harlech, Wales, took the title in July 2019.
• 25 April
• *COVID-19 in New Zealand: New Zealanders paid tribute at private dawn services as public remembrance services are cancelled, the first time since 1916.
• *Central government announces $40 million funding for mental health service, giving 1.5 million New Zealanders free access to the service, once fully operational.
• 27 April – COVID-19 in New Zealand: New Zealand enters alert level 3 for a period of at least two weeks at 11:59 pm, partially lifting the lockdown requirements.

May

• 11 May – COVID-19 in New Zealand: Cabinet decides to lower New Zealand's COVID-19 alert level to level two, effective from the 14 May.
• 13 May
• *COVID-19 in New Zealand: New Zealand entered COVID-19 alert level two at 11.59pm.
• *It is reported that New Zealand Police failed to receive clearance from higher officials in central government, the senior police hierarchy or the Privacy Commissioner to use facial recognition software, after a trial was tested using the American firm Clearview AI's system.
• 14 May – The 2020 Budget is unveiled, including a $50 billion recovery package to offset the impending recession.
• 18 May – Statistics NZ announces that New Zealand's population reached five million during March, and estimates the population at 31 March as 5,002,100.
• 22 May – Todd Muller and Nikki Kaye are elected leader and deputy leader of the National Party in a leadership election, replacing Simon Bridges and Paula Bennett.

June

• 1 June – The [2020 Birthday Honours (New Zealand)|2020 Queen's Official Birthday|Queen's Birthday Honours] are announced.
• 8 June – COVID-19 in New Zealand: New Zealand moves to alert level 1 at 11:59 pm, removing nearly all social restrictions.
• 19 June – A fatal police shooting in West Auckland leaves a police officer dead and another seriously injured.
• 25 June - The Sixth Labour Government, with support from the Green Party and New Zealand First, passes legislation restoring suffrage for prisoners serving sentences less than three years. The bill was opposed by the opposition National and ACT parties.

July

• 7 July:
• *Sky New Zealand merges Lightbox into its Neon streaming service.
• *Hamish Walker, Member of Parliament for Clutha-Southland leaks sensitive information containing private details of COVID-19 patients. On the same day, Michelle Boag, former president of the National Party confesses that she sent the information to Walker. Boag resigns from her position as chief executive of the Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust.
• 9 July – Rio Tinto announces that Tiwai Point smelter is set to close, leaving 1000 people out of employment.
• 14 July
• * Todd Muller announces his immediate resignation as the leader of National Party, citing health reasons.
• * Judith Collins and Gerry Brownlee are elected new leader and deputy leader of the National Party.

August

• 11 August – COVID-19 in New Zealand: Four new cases of COVID-19 outside of a quarantine facility are reported.
• 12 August
• * COVID-19 in New Zealand: At noon, Auckland enters alert level 3, while the rest of the country enters alert level 2.
• * The dissolution of Parliament, originally set for this day, is delayed until 17 August.
• 17 August
• * Ardern announces that the 2020 New Zealand general election will be delayed until 17 October.
• * The dissolution of Parliament is also delayed, to 6 September.

September

• 4 September – COVID-19 in New Zealand: The first death from COVID-19 since 28 May is reported.
• 6 September – The 52nd New Zealand Parliament is dissolved.
• 29 September – Two people are charged over the New Zealand First Foundation fraud case.

October

• 4 October – A wildfire at Lake Ōhau causes the evacuation of 90 residents. As of 6 October, the fire had burnt 5,300 hectares, of which 1,900 hectares is conservation land.
• 17 October – The 2020 general election is held alongside referendums on personal cannabis consumption and euthanasia. Labour wins a majority of the seats in Parliament, continuing the Sixth Labour Government.

November

• 6 November — Official election results give Labour 65 seats, enough for a majority government, the first time a single party wins enough seats to govern alone since the mixed-member proportional representation system was introduced in 1996.
• 9 November – A state of emergency is declared in Napier due to flooding.

December

• 9 December – The University of Otago cancels its end-of-year graduation ceremonies after receiving a security threat.
• 26 December – The Tasman region suffers a heavy hail storm, causing millions of dollars in physical and economic damage.
• 27 December – Manukura, a North Island brown kiwi, born entirely with white feathers, dies after deteriorating health following surgery.
• 29 December
• *A large bushfire in Ahipara leads to local residents being evacuated.
• *29 December - 3 January 2021 – Riots between inmates and prison guards at Waikeria Prison, causing major fire damage to the complex.
• 31 December – The 2021 New Year Honours are announced.

Holidays and observances

• 1 January – New Year's Day
• 2 January – Day after New Year's Day
• 6 February – Waitangi Day
• 10 April – Good Friday
• 12 April – Easter Sunday
• 13 April – Easter Monday
• 25 April – Anzac Day
• 27 April – Anzac Day observed
• 1 June – Queen's Birthday
• 26 October – Labour Day
• 25 December – Christmas Day
• 26 December – Boxing Day
• 28 December – Boxing Day observed

Sports

Sailing

• The 2020 America's Cup World Series is sailed in Auckland on 17–19 December, and is won by Team New Zealand in Te Rehutai, helmed by Peter Burling

Shooting

• Ballinger Belt –
• * David Black
• * Allan White, second, top New Zealander

Winter Youth Olympics

• New Zealand sent a team of 20 competitors across nine sports to the 2020 Winter Youth Olympics, held in Lausanne, Switzerland, on 9–22 January.

Births

• 3 September – Ka Ying Rising, Thoroughbred racehorse
• 26 October – Orchestral, Thoroughbred racehorse

Deaths

January

• 1 January – Dick Scott, historian and journalist.
• 3 January – Ian Smith, archaeologist .
• 7 January – Rob Ronayne, lawyer and jurist, District Court judge .
• 10 January – Tiny White, equestrianism competitor, judge and administrator.
• 14 January – Bernard Diederich, author, journalist, and historian, Maria Moors Cabot Prize .
• 18 January – Piri Sciascia, Māori leader, kapa haka exponent, and university administrator, kaumātua to the governor-general .
• 22 January – John Kasper, cricketer .
• 25 January
• * Shirley Murray, hymn writer.
• * Dame Alison Roxburgh, women's rights advocate and community leader.
• 26 January – Gordon McLauchlan, author, broadcaster and social historian, GOFTA for television presenter of the year .
• 29 January
• * Ruth Butterworth, political studies academic, president of the Association of University Staff .
• * Keith Nelson, association footballer .
• 31 January
• * Tony Ford, lawyer and jurist, judge of the Court of Appeal of Fiji, Chief Justice of Tonga, Employment Court judge .
• * Alison Preston-Thomas, netball player .

February

• 1 February – Denford McDonald, mechanical engineer and businessman .
• 2 February – Mike Moore, politician and diplomat, MP, Minister of Tourism, Minister of Overseas Trade, leader of the Labour Party, Prime Minister, Director-General of the World Trade Organization, ambassador to the United States .
• 4 February
• * Andrew Brough, Hall of Fame singer, songwriter and guitarist .
• * Peter Hogg, lawyer and legal scholar, Queen's Counsel .
• 8 February – Lew Mander, organic chemist .
• 13 February
• * Sir Des Britten, restaurateur, radio broadcaster, television chef, and Anglican priest, Wellington City Missioner .
• * Jimmy Thunder, boxer, Commonwealth Games gold medallist, IBO heavyweight world champion .
• 15 February – Alan Henderson, television cameraman and puppeteer .
• 16 February – Graeme Allwright, singer and songwriter.
• 17 February – Terry Lineen, rugby union player .
• 18 February – James Lobet, aircraft designer .
• 19 February – Wes Sandle, physicist .
• 27 February – Tina Carline, radio announcer, television continuity announcer and weather presenter .

March

• 2 March – Roger Cooper, paleontologist, Hutton Medal .
• 3 March – Kerry Marshall, local politician, Mayor of Richmond, Mayor of Tasman, Mayor of Nelson .
• 4 March – Helen Courtney, cartoonist and illustrator .
• 5 March
• * Troy Collings, travel executive.
• * Shirley Cowles, cricketer .
• * Jeanette Fitzsimons, politician and environmentalist, co-leader of the Green Party, Alliance list MP, MP for Coromandel, Green list MP .
• 11 March – Sir Rob Fenwick, Hall of Fame businessman and environmentalist, leader of the Progressive Green Party, chancellor of St John New Zealand, chair of Antarctica New Zealand .
• 14 March – Henry Smith, Olympic discus thrower, South Pacific Games gold medallist, shot putter.
• 21 March – Cindy Beavis, radio broadcaster .
• 22 March
• * Bob McCullough, cricketer .
• * Peter Stapleton, musician .
• 26 March – Colin Graham, cricketer .
• 29 March – Claire Stewart, local politician, New Plymouth District Councillor, Mayor of New Plymouth .

April

• 3 April – Eric Verdonk, Olympic rower, Olympic bronze medallist, world championship bronze medallist, Commonwealth Games bronze medallist .
• 6 April – Jock Edwards, cricketer .
• 8 April – Te Huirangi Waikerepuru, Māori language activist and trade unionist .
• 11 April – Might and Power, Hall of Fame Thoroughbred racehorse, Caulfield Cup, Melbourne Cup, W. S. Cox Plate .
• 14 April – Dean Parker, screenwriter, playwright, journalist, and political commentator, GOFTA Award, TV Guide Television Award, New Zealand Arts Foundation Laureate .
• 22 April – Dennis Copps, cricket umpire.
• 23 April – Bruce Allpress, actor, Feltex Television Awards best actor .
• 24 April – Phil Broadhurst, jazz musician, composer, music educator, and radio presenter, New Zealand Music Awards best jazz artist .

May

• 3 May – Geoff Anderson, cricketer .
• 4 May – Alan Sutherland, rugby union player .
• 7 May
• * Margaret Loutit, microbiologist .
• * George Simpkin, rugby union coach .
• 8 May – James Hill, Olympic rower, British Empire and Commonwealth Games gold, silver and bronze medallist.
• 14 May – Tony Coll, rugby league player, local-body politician, Grey District Councillor .
• 15 May – Rick Muru, rugby league player .
• 29 May – Susie Simcock, squash player and administrator, president of the World Squash Federation, New Zealand Olympic Committee board member .

June

• 1 June – Giyannedra Prasad, Fijian lawyer and politician
• 2 June
• * Leslie Kay, electrical engineer, Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand .
• * Lindsay Townsend, rugby union player .
• 10 June
• * Joan Ferner, women's rights advocate and public servant.
• * Murray Hill, seed technologist .
• 11 June
• * Basil Meeking, Roman Catholic prelate, Bishop of Christchurch .
• * Matt Poore, cricketer .
• 13 June – Krystyna Tomaszyk, writer and social activist.
• 16 June – Alistair Soper, rugby union player .
• 17 June – Paul Matete, rugby league player and coach .
• 18 June - Jim Young, boat builder and designer.
• 19 June - Matthew Hunt, police officer.
• 20 June – Aaron Tokona, musician .
• 21 June – Dennis Young, rugby union player .
• 22 June – Stewart Speed, cricketer .
• 23 June – Mike McCool, rugby union player .
• 24 June – Toni Waho, Māori language advocate and educationalist.
• 28 June
• * John Kneebone, farming leader and local-body politician, president of Federated Farmers, Matamata County Councillor, member of the Waitangi Tribunal .
• * Jim Ross, educationalist and public servant.

July

• 1 July – Bill Black, pilot, live deer capture pioneer.
• 2 July – Bill Massey, Hall of Fame softball player, coach and umpire, world championship bronze medallist .
• 10 July – Genevieve Westcott, journalist and television presenter .
• 12 July
• * Kevin Dwyer, cricketer .
• * Robert Welch, agricultural biotechnologist .
• 14 July – James Brown, public servant, official secretary to the governor-general .
• 20 July – Ross Dallow, police officer and local-body politician, Waitakere City Councillor .
• 21 July – Bruce McPhail, rugby union player .
• 29 July – Andy Haden, rugby union player .

August

• 2 August – Tony Campbell, biblical scholar .
• 4 August – Murray Cheater, Olympic and Commonwealth Games hammer thrower.
• 6 August – Lindsay Brown, accountant and university administrator, chancellor of the University of Otago .
• 8 August – Jean Stewart, Hall of Fame swimmer, Olympic bronze medallist, British Empire Games silver medallist and British Empire and Commonwealth Games bronze medallist .
• 9 August – Heta Hingston, 82, lawyer and jurist, Māori Land Court judge .
• 10 August
• * Vinka Lucas, fashion designer and retailer, magazine founder.
• * Don Martin, musician .
• 12 August – Jean Anderson, pianist and professor of music .
• 21 August – Sir Bob Elliott, paediatrician .
• 23 August – Jack Tynan, Olympic field hockey player, and cricketer .
• 25 August – Graham Newdick, cricketer .
• 26 August
• * Keri Kaa, writer, educator, and Māori language advocate.
• * Douglas MacDiarmid, artist.
• 27 August – Ivan Keats, Olympic marathon runner .
• 28 August – Don Bacon, microbiologist .
• 31 August – Megan Wraight, landscape architect, Arts Foundation of New Zealand Laureate Award .

September

• 2 September – John Shrapnell, journalist, actor and singer.
• 4 September – Joe Williams, politician, doctor and health researcher, Prime Minister of the Cook Islands .
• 5 September – David Walter, local-body politician and journalist, Mayor of Stratford, Chair of Taranaki Regional Council .
• 6 September – Sir Vaughan Jones, mathematician, Fields Medal, Rutherford Medal, Fellow of the Royal Society .
• 8 September – Jane Soons, geomorphologist, president of the International Union for Quaternary Research .
• 13 September
• * Kirsty Durward, gymnast, Commonwealth Games bronze medallist .
• * Dave Halligan, rugby union player .
• 15 September – Nigel Te Hiko, historian, Ngāti Raukawa leader.
• 17 September – Don McGregor, zoologist and science advisor, Ministry of Research, Science and Technology chief scientist .
• 24 September – Max Merritt, Hall of Fame singer-songwriter and guitarist .
• 25 September – Matt Ratana, police officer.
• 29 September – John Whittaker, rugby league player .
• 30 September – Guy Natusch, architect.

October

• 5 October – John Tanner, rugby union player .
• 8 October – Jack Sutherland, athlete, British Empire Games bronze medallist .
• 14 October – John Reid, Hall of Fame cricketer and cricket administrator, international match referee, president of New Zealand Cricket, New Zealand Sportsman of the Year, Wisden Cricketer of the Year .
• 18 October – Eddie Tonks, rugby union administrator, chair of the New Zealand Rugby Football Union .
• 23 October – David Barnes, sailor, 470 world champion and world championship bronze medallist, America's Cup skipper .

November

• 2 November – Trevor Malloch, cricketer .
• 7 November – Bones Hillman, musician .
• 21 November – Rufus Rehu, musician
• 25 November
• * Marion Law, netball player and tennis player, All India women's singles and doubles champion .
• * Alan Powell, historian .
• 30 November – Ross Dykes, cricket player, administrator and match referee, national selector, chief executive officer of Otago Cricket .

December

• 4 December – Anand Singh, Fijian politician.
• 5 December – Des Ferrow, cricketer .
• 7 December – Malcolm Simpson, Olympic and British Empire Games cyclist.
• 8 December – Gerard Stokes, rugby league player and coach .
• 10 December – Barry Wynks, Commonwealth Games lawn bowls player and silver medallist .
• 11 December – James Flynn, political scientist, intelligence researcher, and politician .
• 13 December – Rose Pere, educationalist, Māori language advocate, and conservationist.
• 16 December – Brian Pickworth, Olympic and British Empire and Commonwealth Games fencer, British Empire and Commonwealth Games bronze medallist .
• 17 December – Ed Nichols, Paralympic alpine skier .
• 20 December – Arthur Campbell, analytical chemist .
• 25 December – David Thorns, sociologist, Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand .
• 27 December – Manukura, white North Island brown kiwi.
• 28 December – John Reid, cricketer .