2017 in New Zealand
List of events
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The following lists events that happened during 2017 in New Zealand.
Population
National
Estimated populations as at 30 June.[1]
- 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.[1]
- 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
- Elizabeth II
- 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 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
- David Carter
- Trevor Mallard
- Bill English
- Jacinda Ardern
- Paula Bennett
- Winston Peters
- Gerry Brownlee
- Chris Hipkins
- Steven Joyce
- Grant Robertson
- Murray McCully
Other party leaders
- Labour – Andrew Little until 1 August, then Jacinda Ardern (Leader of the Opposition until 26 October)
- 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 (party disbanded)
- Andrew Little
- Jacinda Ardern
- James Shaw
- Metiria Turei
- Winston Peters
- Te Ururoa Flavell
- Marama Fox
- David Seymour
- Peter Dunne
Judiciary
- Sian Elias
Main centre leaders
- Mayor of Auckland – Phil Goff
- Mayor of Tauranga – Greg Brownless
- Mayor of Hamilton – Andrew King
- Mayor of Wellington – Justin Lester
- Mayor of Christchurch – Lianne Dalziel
- Mayor of Dunedin – Dave Cull
- Phil Goff
- Greg Brownless
- Andrew King
- Justin Lester
- Lianne Dalziell
- Dave Cull
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.[2][3]
- 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[4]
April
- 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[5]
- 13–14 April – Cyclone Cook, now an extratropical cyclone, moves across the North Island[6]
- 24 April – Gerry Brownlee resigns from his portfolio of Minister for Supporting Greater Christchurch Regeneration.[7]
May
- 4 May – State of emergencies are declares in the Whanganui and Rangitikei districts in anticipation of ex tropical Cyclone Debbie.[8]
- 25 May – The 2017 New Zealand budget is presented to Parliament by the Minister of Finance, Steven Joyce[9]
June
- 5 June – The 2017 Queen's Birthday Honours are announced[10]
July
- 19–21 July – Severe flooding hits the east coast of the South Island between Christchurch and Balclutha
- 21 July – Mycoplasma bovis disease found in a South Island herd of cows
August
- 1 August – Jacinda Ardern elected leader of the Labour Party after Andrew Little resigns[11]
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[12]
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[13]