2024 in New Zealand
New Zealand-related events during the year of 2024
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The following lists events that have happened or are expected to happen during 2024 in New Zealand.
Incumbents
Regal and vice-regal
- Head of state – Charles III
- Governor-General – Cindy Kiro
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Charles III -
Cindy Kiro
Government
Legislature term: 54th New Zealand Parliament.
The Sixth National Government, elected in 2023, continues.
- Speaker of the House – Gerry Brownlee
- Prime Minister – Christopher Luxon
- Deputy Prime Minister – Winston Peters
- Leader of the House – Chris Bishop
- Minister of Finance – Nicola Willis
- Minister of Foreign Affairs – Winston Peters
-
Gerry Brownlee -
Christopher Luxon -
Winston Peters -
Chris Bishop -
Nicola Willis
Other party leaders in parliament
- Labour – Chris Hipkins (Leader of the Opposition)
- Green – James Shaw until 10 March then Chlöe Swarbrick, and Marama Davidson
- ACT – David Seymour
- NZ First – Winston Peters
- Te Pāti Māori – Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer
-
Chris Hipkins -
James Shaw -
Marama Davidson -
Chlöe Swarbrick -
David Seymour - Winston Peters
Judiciary
- Chief Justice – Helen Winkelmann
- President of the Court of Appeal – Mark Cooper
- Chief High Court judge – Sally Fitzgerald
- Chief District Court judge – Heemi Taumaunu
-
Helen Winkelmann -
Mark Cooper
Main centre leaders
- Mayor of Auckland – Wayne Brown
- Mayor of Tauranga – Anne Tolley (as chair of commissioners)
- Mayor of Hamilton – Paula Southgate
- Mayor of Wellington – Tory Whanau
- Mayor of Christchurch – Phil Mauger
- Mayor of Dunedin – Jules Radich
-
Wayne Brown -
Anne Tolley -
Paula Southgate -
Tory Whanau -
Phil Mauger -
Jules Radich
Events
January
- 3 January – The Waitangi Treaty Grounds and its museums are evacuated following a bomb threat received in an email.[1]
- 6 January – Learner license driver tests are changed in order to drop high wait times. Testees must wait 10 days until attempting another test if they fail twice in a day.[2]
- 9 January – A seven-year legal battle concludes, marking three and a half hectares of Titirangi bush to be removed for a water treatment plant.[3]
- 10 January – Train lines in Wellington lose power at around 3pm. Power is restored about six hours later.[4]
- 11 January – 10 hectares of scrub in Tītahi Bay, Porirua is lit on fire, starting at around 11pm. It is contained the following day.[5]
- 14 January – The Auckland Light Rail project is cancelled by the government. The project oversaw building light rail system in Auckland.[6]
- 15 January
- Train stations on Auckland's Eastern Line between Ōrākei and Sylvia Park reopen after being closed for 10 months to allow tracks to be rebuilt.[7]
- Prime Minister Christopher Luxon meets with the Māori King, Kīngi Tūheitia. Their discussions include the government's plans to remove Māori names from public organisations.[8]
- 16 January – Golriz Ghahraman announces her resignation as a Green Party Member of Parliament following three accusations of shoplifting in Auckland and Wellington.[9]
- 17 January
- Wellington enters level two water restrictions due to its ageing infrastructure during summer demand spikes. Almost half of Wellington's water is lost to over 3,000 pipe leaks. The restrictions enact a ban of residential sprinklers and irrigation sprinklers in Wellington City, Porirua City, Hutt City and Upper Hutt City.[10][11]
- 2023 NCEA results are revealed, showing a drop in secondary school pass rates for the third year in a row. This is attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic.[12]
- MetService issues a heat alert in Auckland due to night temperatures forecasted at 20–21 degrees.[13]
- 19 January
- Four separate wildfires break out in Amberley and Loburn, Canterbury, reaching an estimated area of 10 hectares. The fires are contained in the evening by over 100 firefighters.[14][15] Three homes and a church are lost in the fires.[16]
- Celia Wade-Brown is declared elected a list MP for the Green Party following the resignation of Golriz Ghahraman.[17]
- Westland declares a state of emergency due to heavy rain.[18]
- 20 January
- A national hui is held at Tūrangawaewae Marae, called by the Māori King Tūheitia Paki, which has several thousand attendees.[19]
- A second wildfire on the north side of the Waimakariri River, by Swannanoa breaks out, reaching an estimated area of 12 hectares. Forty firefighters and four helicopters are used to fight the fire.[20]
- 21 January – A pod of 40 false killer whales and bottlenose dolphins were euthanised after becoming stranded on a reef near Māhia Peninsula in the Hawke's Bay region.[21]
- 22 January – The Commerce Commission launches investigations into pricing and promotional practices of the two supermarket chains Woolworths New Zealand and Foodstuffs.[22]
- 24 January
- Albert Park in Auckland is evacuated along with surrounding streets after a man made "concerning comments".[23]
- Waipukurau water supply drops to 26% due to a leak. Level four water restrictions are put in place, banning outdoor water use, and residents are asked not to use dishwashers or washing machines.[24]
- 26 January
- Local Government Minister Simeon Brown says that the government does not want to decrease the voting age to 16, after a similar comment was made on 16 January. This ends the previous government's intention to decrease the age.[25][26]
- Members of the Ngāti Kahu iwi (tribe) block access to Taipa ahead of the Doubtless Bay Fishing Competition to protest the Government's proposed Treaty of Waitangi Principles legislation and overfishing.[27][28] Protesters vowed to continue their blockade over the weekend (27–28 January).[29][30]
- 30 January
- James Shaw, co-leader of the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand announces his resignation, effective March.[31]
- New Zealand suspends its aid contribution to UNRWA (the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East) following allegations that at least 12 UNRWA workers had participated in the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel.[32]
- 31 January
- The government announces that the ending of providing free COVID-19 rapid antigen test kits will be extended to 30 June.[33]
- A heat alert is issued for Auckland, and outdoor fires are banned in Canterbury.[34]
February
- 4 February – A wildfire along the banks of the Waimakariri River near Kirwee reaches 80 hectares in size, leading to evacuations and the closure of Old West Coast Road.[35]
- 5 February – Rangiora High School closes for one day due to a high COVID-19 infection rate among its staff.[36]
- 6 February – Large crowds gather outside Treaty House in Waitangi, Northland to protest against the Government's Māori language policies and proposed Treaty Principles legislation.[37][38]
- 7 February – Supreme Court rules that iwi leader and climate activist Mike Smith can sue seven companies for pollution including Fonterra, Z Energy and Genesis Energy Limited.[39]
- 8 February – Local state of emergency declared in the Southland township of Bluecliffs due to erosion caused by heavy rain and sea swell.[40]
- 10 February
- Westpac experiences an outage in which customers are unable to withdraw funds and use eftpos cards for more than 12 hours.[41]
- A South Dunedin Countdown supermarket closes for at least a week, after suffering a rodent infestation.[42]
- 11 February – The government announces a $63 million funding increase for Cyclone Gabrielle recovery, to remove sediment and debris.[43]
- 12 February – The Ministry of Primary Industries starts an investigation at a Christchurch Countdown supermarket, after a mouse is spotted running across uncovered a deli-made salad.[44]
- 13 February – A memorial service is held at Muriwai to remember the death of two firefighters during Cyclone Gabrielle. A plaque was also unveiled.[45]
- 14 February
- 2024 Port Hills fire: A state of emergency is declared in Christchurch and Selwyn, as firefighters battle to control a bushfire in the city's Port Hills region.[46]
- Six residents of a rest home in Whitianga have died after a third of residents and staff were infected with Influenza A over a 12-day period.[47]
- Parliament repeals under urgency the Three Waters programme.[48]
- 20 February – Labour Member of Parliament and former cabinet minister Grant Robertson announces his resignation from politics to take up the position of Vice-Chancellor of the University of Otago commencing July 2024.[49]
- 21 February – Green MP Efeso Collins collapses and dies during a charity event.[50]
- 24 February – The new Kaeo Bridge in Northland opens after starting in 2021 and being unveiled in 2015.[51]
- 25 February – Food labels now must contain potentially life‐threatening allergens bolded in the ingredients list.[52][53]
- 26 February – State Highway 1 over Brynderwyn Hills closes for repairs until 27 March.
- 28 February
- The official cash rate is kept at 5.5%.[54]
- Warner Bros. Discovery releases a proposal to shut down television news broadcaster Newshub by 30 June 2024.[55]
- 29 February
- Petrol stations Z, Allied Petroleum, Gull, Waitomo, etc experience nationwide self-service pump outages due to a software problem caused by the leap year.[56]
- New Zealand Blood Service lifts the mad cow disease blood and plasma donation restriction.[57]
- The entirety of Hamas is designated as a terrorist entity by the government, which follows a 2010 designation of its military as terrorist.[58][59]
March
- 1 March – Judge Evangelos Thomas imposes a total of NZ$10.21 million in reparations and NZ$2 million in fines on five companies and GNS Science over their involvement in the 2019 Whakaari / White Island eruption.[60]
- 6 March – Lawrence Xu-Nan is elected as a list MP for the Green Party following the death of Efeso Collins.[61]
- 8 March – State-owned television news broadcaster TVNZ proposes eliminating 68 jobs and axing several current affairs programs including Fair Go, Sunday, 1 News' midday and late night news segments due to financial difficulties.[62][63]
- 9 March – The Hokitika Wildfoods Festival takes place.[64]
- 10 March
- Chlöe Swarbrick is elected co-leader of the Green Party, following the resignation of James Shaw.[65]
- Firefighters respond to multiple wildfires in the Waitaki District.[66]
- 11 March – 50 passengers and crew are injured after LATAM Airlines Flight 800 experiences an inflight upset while landing at Auckland International Airport.[67]
- 12 March
- Scientists on an expedition to the Bounty Trough discover more than a hundred species previously unknown in New Zealand waters.[68]
- NZME acquires the family-owned Gisborne Herald and its website.[69]
- 13 March
- Golriz Ghahraman pleads guilty to shoplifting.[70][71]
- The government gives Ruapehu Alpine Lifts a $7 million bailout.[72]
- 14 March
- The Wellington City Council approves a plan to increase housing density in Wellington.[73]
- The Dunedin City Council votes to consult ratepayers on a proposal to sell energy company Aurora Energy in order to pay off the company's forecast debt of NZ$750 million.[74]
- 15 March – World of Music, Arts and Dance takes place in New Plymouth.[64]
- 20 March – The government announces that it will ban disaposable vapes, and increase the maximum fine from selling to under-18s from $10,000 to $100,000.[75]
- 19 March – The Rotorua Lakes Council cancels a scheduled Coco and Erika Flash Drag Queen Story Hour event due to safety concerns.[76]
- 21 March – It is announced that the country has entered a recession, with a GDP drop of 0.1% following a 0.3% drop in the September 2023 quarter.[77]
- 22 March – MediaWorks New Zealand confirms that a hacker has compromised the personal information of 403,000 individuals who had participated in its online competitions.[78]
- 24 March – Two people are killed and three critically wounded following a street brawl involving 100 people in Gisborne.[79]
- 26 March
- NZ Post confirms plans to lay off 750 workers over the next five years due to declining mail volume.[80]
- Members of Destiny Church protest against Erika and Coco Flash's Drag Queen reading event at the Gisborne library.[81]
- The Hastings District Council cancels an upcoming Erika and CoCo Flash Rainbow Story event due to safety concerns.[82]
- 27 March – The 2024 New Zealander of the Year Awards are announced, with climate scientist Jim Salinger named New Zealander of the Year.[83]
- 28 March – The Government halts work on legislation to create an ocean sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands.[84]
- 29–31 March – The 2024 Warbirds over Wanaka airshow is held, with 60,000–70,000 people attending.[85][86]
April
- 1 April
- 4 April – The New Zealand Government announces that local councils will have to hold referendums on Māori wards and constituencies.[89]
- 5 April – Thousands of students participate in 20 "climate strikes" events across the country.[90]
- 7 April – Changes to the Accredited Employer Worker Visa are announced due to 'unsustainable' immigration levels.[91]
- 9 April – TVNZ confirms its decision to discontinue its consumer affairs programme Fair Go, along with its midday and late night news bulletins.[92]
- 10 April
- The OCR remains at 5.5%.[93]
- Heavy rain in the West Coast causes the closure of State Highway 6 and power outages due to three power poles being knocked down. Sandbags are placed in some places in Hokitika.[94][95] 46 Air New Zealand flights are cancelled.[96]
- TVNZ confirms its decision to cancel its current affairs programme Sunday.[97]
- Warner Bros. Discovery New Zealand confirms its decision to shut down its Newshub news service by 5 July.[98]
- 12 April
- A pier on a rail bridge over the Rangitata River gets washed away due to heavy rain, causing the bridge to sag.[99]
- 52 Air New Zealand flights are cancelled due to bad weather and "engineering issues".[96]
- The government pledges $8.2 million to the Pacific Connect cable and a further $8.2 million to fund building a Pacific oceans and fisheries research vessel.[100]
- 16 April
- The Commerce Commission brings One NZ to the High Court for allegedly breaching the 111 Contact Code, which was made to allow customers to contact emergency services during a power outage.[101][102]
- Media companies Warner Bros. Discovery New Zealand and Stuff announce an agreement to replace Newshub with a 6pm news bulletin provided by Stuff.[103]
- 17 April
- The Ministry of Education and Oranga Tamariki (Ministry of Children) announce significant job cuts to meet Government budget savings targets of up to 7.5%.[104]
- Organisers of the New Zealand A&P Agricultural Show announce that the 2024 event will not go ahead, citing financial issues.[105]
- Members of the New Zealand Police Association vote to reject the Government's latest pay offer, which includes an overtime rate, NZ$1,500 cash payment and a pay increase for the third year.[106]
- 23 April – The Wellington City Council cancels a NZ$32 million agreement with cinema chain Reading Cinemas to refurbish and earthquake-strengthen its Wellington building.[107]
- 24 April – Paul Goldsmith replaces Melissa Lee as the Media and Communications Minister, and Penny Simmonds has her Disability Issues portfolio removed. Lee is removed from cabinet and is replaced by Simon Watts. In a statement, Luxon referenced issues in the media sector and "major financial issues with programmes run by the Ministry of Disabled People".[108]
- 25 April – The Rangitata River rail bridge in the Canterbury Region reopens after damage from severe weather two weeks earlier.[109]
- 28 April – A protest of several hundred people occurs in Petone to oppose council's proposed demolition of Petone Wharf after it was closed in 2021 due to earthquake damage.[110]
- 29 April
- The government increases Pharmac funding by $1.7 billion over the next four years, increasing it to $6.3 billion.[111]
- The government's school cellphone ban comes into force on the first day of Term Two.[112]
- The first Popeyes restaurant in New Zealand opens.[113]
- NZTA launches a mobile app which serves several functions, such as paying vehicle registrations and road user charges.[114]
May
- 1 May – The government stops funding public transport fares which make trips free for children, and half price for people under 25.[115]
- 2 May – The former Australian Foreign Minister, Bob Carr, says he will take 'legal action', after Winston Peters makes remarks on his views on the AUKUS arrangement.[116]
- 3 May – The Wairoa Star newspaper ends after 103 years of publication.[117]
- 5 May – Environment Canterbury Chair Cr Peter Scott steps down after admitting to illegal irrigation during a Newstalk ZB radio interview.[118]
- 7 May
- Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter is referred to the New Zealand Parliament's privileges committee following complaints that she intimidated National Party's MP Matt Doocey during a heated parliamentary exchange.[119]
- Junior doctors hold a nationwide strike and pickets to protest pay cuts in several healthcare sectors.[120]
- Mayor of Auckland Wayne Brown abandons plans to sell the Ports of Auckland, which will remain in the hands of the Auckland Council.[121]
- The Whanganui District Council votes to call for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza in response to the Israel–Hamas war[122]
- 10 May
- The Employment Relations Authority orders public broadcaster TVNZ to enter into mediation with the E tū union over staff redundancies caused by cutbacks to several news and current affairs programmes.[123]
- Penguin Random House New Zealand cuts eight roles as part of a major restructure.[124]
- 11 May – Transpower issues a power grid emergency in anticipation of an extreme geomagnetic storm, which was the most intense solar storm since 2003. As a precaution, several transmission lines are disabled.[125][126][127] Aurorae are visible as far north as Auckland.[128]
- 12 May – TVNZ's current affairs show Sunday airs its final episode after being broadcast for 22 years.[129]
- 13 May
- New Zealand Court of Appeals overturns a High Court decision squashing the Waitangi Tribunal's summons to Children's Minister Karen Chhour to testify at a hearing about the Government's proposed legislation to overturn Section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989.[130]
- TVNZ airs the final episode of its consumer affairs programme Fair Go after being broadcast for 47 years.[131]
- 14 May
- The Department of Internal Affairs apologises for lengthy delays in processing New Zealand passport applications.[132]
- Warner Bros. Discovery cancels the reality television series The Block NZ after being broadcast for 12 years.[133]
- 16 May
- Junior doctors staged a second strike to protest for better pay and working conditions.[134]
- Dairy company Fonterra announces plans to sell its global consumer business and 17 manufacturing sites in New Zealand and overseas as part of a shift towards becoming a global business-to-business supplier of dairy nutritition products.[135]
- 21 May
- National Party MP David MacLeod is suspended by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon from his Environment and Finance select committee roles after failing to declare 19 candidate donations worth NZ$178,000.[136]
- Heavy rainfall nationwide leads to flash flooding in Auckland, the Bay of Plenty and Christchurch.[137][138]
- Residents in Ngongotahā's Western Road were told to temporarily evacuate due to rising water levels in the Ngongotahā Stream.[139]
- 22 May
- The government invests NZ$24 million into Mike King's I Am Hope's Gumboot Friday programme providing counselling to young people.[140]
- Former Labour Party MP and cabinet minister Kiri Allan pleads guilty to charges of careless driving and failing to accompany a police officer in July 2023.[141]
- 23 May – A sixteen year old Trinity Catholic College student dies following an alleged stabbing at Dunedin's bus hub in Great King Street.[142]
- 24 May – A thirteen year old boy is charged with murder in relation to the Dunedin bus hub stabbing incident.[143]
- 29 May – The first results for the 2023 New Zealand census are released, covering population, age and ethnicity.[144][145]
- 30 May
- Te Pāti Māori and the Toitu Te Tiriti movement hold a nationwide day of protest in opposition to the Government's perceived assault on Tangata whenua and the Treaty of Waitangi. Protest marches and car convoy rallies occur in several urban centres including Auckland, Tauranga, Christchurch and Invercargill.[146][147]
- Junior doctors affiliated with the Resident Doctors' Association (RDA) and New Zealand Blood Service employees affiliated with APEX and the Public Service Association stage twin strikes to demand better wages and working conditions.[148]
- The 2024 budget is delivered.[149]
- 31 May
- Jetstar Flight JQ225 slides of the runway at Christchurch Airport, after suffering steering issues caused by a possible hydraulic leak.[150]
- Tiwai Point Aluminium Smelter reaches an agreement with Meridian Energy on an electricity supply deal, allowing it to remain open until 2044.[151]
- Employment Court Chief Judge Christina Inglis dismisses television broadcaster TVNZ's appeal against the Employment Relations Authority's ruling orders TVNZ to enter into collective bargaining with its employees.[152]
- Hawke's Bay iwi (tribe) Ngāti Kahungunu hosts a second national hui of unity at Omāhu Marae near Hastings.[153]
- The Wellington City Council votes to sell its 34% minority stake (worth NZ$278 million) in Wellington Airport, investing the proceeds in a major disaster investment fund.[154]
June
- June – Eleven pseudoephedrine cold and flu medicines return to shelves without the requirement of a prescription after the Misuse of Drugs (Pseudoephedrine) Amendment Act 2024 was passed in April 2024. In 2011 they became prescription-only due to being a methamphetamine precursor ingredient.[155]
- 1 June – Police in Levin arrest two individuals and impound six cars after a gathering with over 200 cars turns violent.[156]
- 3 June – The 2024 King's Birthday Honours are announced.[157]
- 5 June – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Niuean Premier Dalton Tagelagi announce an agreement to enhance the free association relationship between the two countries and that New Zealand would invest NZ$20.5 million into a new renewable energy project on Niue.[158]
- 7 June – National Party MP David MacLeod MacLeod is referred by the Electoral Commission to the Police over undeclared election donations totalling almost NZ$178,000.[159]
- 8 June – 20,000 people take part in the "March for Nature" protest in Auckland against the Government's proposed Fast-track Approvals Bill.[160]
- 8–10 June – Rail workers affiliated with the Rail and Maritime Transport Union strike for over weekend leave and workload issues.[161]
- 10 June – The Public Service Commission launches an investigation into alleged privacy data breaches by Te Pāti Māori (Māori Party) during the 2023 New Zealand general election.[162]
- 11 June – The Commerce Commission files 21 criminal charges against Kiwibank for errors resulting in over 36,000 customers being overcharged by a total of NZ$7 million.[163]
Predicted and scheduled events
- Six new marine reserves in the southeast South Island are expected to be gazetted.[164]
- 29 June–20 July – Postal voting for the 2024 Tauranga local elections will be held.[165]
- 1 July – Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency reduces funding for the Te Huia passenger railway line between Auckland and Hamilton from 75% to 60%.[166]
- October – King Charles III and Queen Camilla plan to visit New Zealand.[167]
- 31 December – The 2025 New Year Honours will be announced.
Holidays and observances
Public holidays in New Zealand in 2024 are as follows:[168]
- 1 January – New Year's Day
- 2 January – Day after New Year's Day
- 6 February – Waitangi Day
- 29 March – Good Friday
- 1 April – Easter Monday
- 25 April – Anzac Day
- 3 June – King's Birthday
- 28 June – Matariki
- 28 October – Labour Day
- 25 December – Christmas Day
- 26 December – Boxing Day
