2016 in New Zealand

Decades:	1990s ; 2000s ; 2010s ; 2020s ; ;
See also:	History of New Zealand ; List of years in New Zealand ; Timeline of New Zealand history ;

The following lists events that happened during 2016 in New Zealand .

Population [ edit ]

National

Estimated populations as at 30 June. ^[1]

New Zealand total ? 4,693,000
North Island ? 3,596,200
South Island ? 1,096,200

Main urban areas

Estimated populations as at 30 June. ^[1]

Auckland ? 1,495,000
Blenheim ? 30,700
Christchurch ? 389,700
Dunedin ? 118,500
Gisborne ? 36,100
Hamilton ? 229,900
Invercargill ? 50,700
Kapiti ? 41,800
Napier-Hastings ? 131,000
Nelson ? 65,700
New Plymouth ? 56,800
Palmerston North ? 84,300
Rotorua ? 57,800
Tauranga ? 134,500
Wellington ? 405,000
Whanganui ? 39,600
Whang?rei ? 56,400

Incumbents [ edit ]

Regal and vice-regal [ edit ]

Head of State ? Elizabeth II
Governor-General ? Jerry Mateparae ^[2] until 31 August, then Patsy Reddy from 28 September.

Elizabeth II
Jerry Mateparae
Patsy Reddy

Government [ edit ]

2016 is the second full year of the 51st Parliament , which first sat on 21 October 2014.

The Fifth National Government , first elected in 2008, continues.

Speaker of the House ? David Carter
Prime Minister ? John Key (until 12 December), then Bill English
Deputy Prime Minister ? Bill English (until 12 December), then Paula Bennett
Leader of the House ? Gerry Brownlee
Minister of Finance ? Bill English , then (from 20 December) Steven Joyce
Minister of Foreign Affairs ? Murray McCully

David Carter
John Key
Bill English
Paula Bennett
Gerry Brownlee
Steven Joyce
Murray McCully

Other party leaders [ edit ]

Labour ? Andrew Little
Green ? James Shaw and Metiria Turei
New Zealand First ? Winston Peters
M?ori Party ? Te Ururoa Flavell and Marama Fox
ACT New Zealand ? David Seymour
United Future ? Peter Dunne

Andrew Little
James Shaw
Metiria Turei
Winston Peters
Te Ururoa Flavell
Marama Fox
David Seymour
Peter Dunne

Judiciary [ edit ]

Chief Justice ? Sian Elias

Sian Elias

Main centre leaders [ edit ]

Mayor of Auckland ? Len Brown , then from 1 November Phil Goff
Mayor of Tauranga ? Stuart Crosby , then from 31 October Greg Brownless
Mayor of Hamilton ? Julie Hardaker , then from 9 November Andrew King
Mayor of Wellington ? Celia Wade-Brown , then from 26 October Justin Lester
Mayor of Christchurch ? Lianne Dalziel
Mayor of Dunedin ? Dave Cull

Len Brown
Phil Goff
Stuart Crosby
Greg Brownless
Julie Hardaker
Andrew King
Celia Wade-Brown
Justin Lester
Lianne Dalziell
Dave Cull

Events [ edit ]

January [ edit ]

February [ edit ]

8 February ? Operation Neptune (New Zealand) begins. ^[3]
14 February ? A significant aftershock in Christchurch causes some cliffs to collapse. ^[4]

March [ edit ]

3?24 March ? Second referendum on changing the country's flag ? existing flag retained. ^[5]
11 March ? Parliament passes legislation to outlaw zero-hour contracts ^[6]

April [ edit ]

May [ edit ]

June [ edit ]

6 June ? The 2016 Queen's Birthday Honours are announced. ^[7]

July [ edit ]

November [ edit ]

14 November ? A 7.5?7.8 M _W earthquake strikes Kaik?ura at midnight, killing two people.
22 November ? Operation Neptune (New Zealand) ends.

December [ edit ]

5 December ? John Key announces that he will step down as New Zealand Prime Minister and leader of the National Party on 12 December.
12 December ? Bill English is sworn in as New Zealand's 39th Prime Minister , following the resignation of John Key .
31 December ? The 2017 New Year Honours are announced. ^[9]

Arts and literature [ edit ]

Performing arts [ edit ]

Benny Award presented by the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand to Suzanne Prentice OBE .

Sport [ edit ]

Awards [ edit ]

54th Halberg Awards (awarded 9 February 2017 for the 2016 calendar year)
- Supreme Award ? Lisa Carrington (canoeing)
- Sportsman ? Mahe Drysdale (rowing)
- Sportswoman ? Lisa Carrington (canoeing)
- Team ? Men's 49er class: Peter Burling & Blair Tuke (sailing)
- Disabled Sportsperson ? Liam Malone (athletics)
- Coach ? Gordon Walker (canoeing)
- Emerging Talent ? Campbell Stewart (cycling)

Olympics [ edit ]

New Zealand sends a team of 199 competitors across 20 sports.
Sprint canoeist Lisa Carrington becomes the first New Zealand women to win two medals in the same Olympic Games.

Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
4	9	5	18

Paralympics [ edit ]

Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
9	5	7	21

Swimmer Sophie Pascoe overtook Eve Rimmer to become New Zealand's most successful Paralympian in terms of medals won.

Athletics [ edit ]

Summer Olympics
- Valerie Adams won the silver medal in the women's shot put (20.42 m)
- Eliza McCartney won the bronze medal in the women's pole vault (4.80 m)
- Tom Walsh won the bronze medal in the men's shot put (21.36 m)
- Nick Willis won the bronze medal in the men's 1500 metres (3:50.24)
Summer Paralympics
- Liam Malone won gold medals in the men's 200 metres T44 and men's 400 metres T44 , and the silver medal in the men's 100 metres T44
- Anna Grimaldi won the gold medal in the women's long jump T47
- Holly Robinson won the silver medal in the women's javelin throw F46
- William Stedman won bronze medals in the men's 400 metres T36 and the men's 800 metres T36 .
- Jess Hamill won the bronze medal in the women's shot put F34
- Rory McSweeney won the bronze medal in the men's javelin throw F44

Rowing [ edit ]

Summer Olympics
- Hamish Bond and Eric Murray won the gold medal in the men's coxless pair
- Mahe Drysdale won the gold medal in the men's single sculls
- Genevieve Behrent and Rebecca Scown won the silver medal in the women's coxless pair
New Zealand Secondary School Championships (Maadi Cup)
- Maadi Cup (boys U18 eight) ? Christ's College
- Levin 75th Jubilee Cup (girls U18 eight) ? Diocesan School for Girls
- Star Trophy (overall points) ? St Peter's School (Cambridge)

Shooting [ edit ]

Ballinger Belt ? Malcolm Dodson (Kaituna/Blenheim) ^[10]
Summer Olympics ? Natalie Rooney won the silver medal in the women's trap shooting

Youth Olympics [ edit ]

New Zealand sends a team of 11 competitors in five sports.

Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
0	1	1	2

Births [ edit ]

6 November ? Probabeel , Thoroughbred racehorse
15 November ? Copy That , Standardbred racehorse ^[11]

Deaths [ edit ]

January [ edit ]

2 January ? Tim Francis , diplomat (born 1928)
5 January ? Keith Thiele , World War II pilot (born 1921)
7 January ? David Shale , mathematician (born 1932)
8 January ? Ida Gaskin , schoolteacher, quiz show contestant, politician (born 1919)
17 January
- Melvin Day , artist (born 1923)
- Jules Le Lievre , rugby union player (born 1933)
22 January ? Alec Wishart , musician (born 1939)
23 January ? Barry Brickell , potter (born 1935)
24 January ? Neville Black , rugby union and rugby league player (born 1925)
26 January ? Bob Thomas , long jumper (born 1939)
27 January ? Shirley Tonkin , sudden infant death syndrome researcher (born 1921)
28 January
- Rob Courtney , Paralympic athlete (born 1959)
- Peter Robinson , musician (born 1958)
- Bob Tizard , politician, deputy prime minister (1974?75) (born 1924)
31 January
- Mere Broughton , M?ori language activist, unionist (born 1938)
- Rona McCarthy , athlete (born 1916)

February [ edit ]

1 February ? Kelly McGarry , mountain biker (born 1982)
2 February
- Chris Kenny , boxing trainer (born 1937)
- Marcus Turner , singer-songwriter, folk musician, television presenter (born 1956)
7 February ? Andrew Hintz , cricketer (born 1963)
10 February ? John Spencer , businessman (born c. 1934)
13 February ? Barry Jones , Catholic Bishop of Christchurch (born 1941)
17 February ? Sophia Hawthorne , actress (born 1976)
23 February ? George Newton , weightlifter (born 1936)
24 February ? Ken English , rugby league player (born 1927)
26 February ? Jack Forrest , rugby league player (born 1924)
28 February ? Bob Morrison , association footballer (born 1926)
29 February ? Ranginui Walker , M?ori academic (born 1932)

March [ edit ]

3 March ? Martin Crowe , cricketer (born 1962)
4 March ? Harry Turbott , architect, landscape architect, environmentalist (born 1930)
5 March ? David Abbott , cricket umpire (born 1934)
10 March ? Judy Pickard , abstract painter, librarian and advocate for women's rights (born 1921)
11 March ? Sel Belsham , rugby league player, cricketer (born 1930)
16 March ? George Menzies , rugby league player and coach (born 1930)
18 March ? Paul Swadel , film director and producer (born 1969)
19 March ? Graham Fortune , diplomat and public servant (born 1941)
25 March ? Ross Jennings , television producer and director (born 1944)
27 March ? Frank Torley , television reporter, director and producer (born 1941)
31 March ? Mark Vryenhoek , alpine skier (born 1960)

April [ edit ]

3 April
- Rowley Habib , poet, playwright, short-story writer (born 1933)
- Whai Ngata , broadcaster, journalist, lexicographer (born c. 1942)
4 April ? Maida Bryant , politician, community leader (born 1926)
7 April ? Matiu Dickson , politician, kapa haka exponent (born 1952)
11 April ? Ruth Gilbert , poet (born 1917)
12 April ? Alan Loveday , violinist (born 1928)
13 April ? Kurtis Haiu , rugby union player (born 1984)
14 April ? Colin Knight , educationalist (born 1934)
22 April
- Rex Fell , Thoroughbred racehorse breeder (born c. 1945)
- Peter Sellers , sports broadcaster (born 1921)
23 April ? Bill Sevesi , musician (born 1923)
24 April ? Paul Annear , jeweller (born 1947)
27 April ? Chris Parkinson , broadcaster (born 1941)

May [ edit ]

3 May ? Ian Quigley , politician (born 1931)
13 May ? David Garner , physical oceanographer (born 1928)
18 May ? Ian Watkin , actor (born 1940)
21 May ? Tony Kriletich , rugby league player (born 1944)
25 May ? Bob Sorenson , rugby union player and coach, cricketer (born 1923)

June [ edit ]

1 June ? Leonard Boyle , bishop (born 1930)
2 June
- Keith Lawrence , World War II fighter pilot (born 1919)
- Brian Reidy , rugby league player (born 1939)
4 June ? Bill Snowden , rugby league player (born 1935)
6 June ? Keith Smith , cricketer (born 1929)
7 June ? Sir Graham Latimer , M?ori leader (born 1926)
9 June ? Joyce Carpenter , diver (born 1923)
10 June ? Derek Wilson , architect and environmentalist (born 1922)
15 June ? David Hall , chemistry academic (born 1928)
16 June ? Pat Suggate , geologist (born 1922)
21 June ? Susanna Ounei , Kanak independence activist, feminist (born 1945)
23 June ? Roy Crawford , mechanical engineering academic, university administrator (born c. 1949)
25 June ? Jack Cropp , yachtsman (born 1927)
27 June ? Dame Grace Hollander , community leader (born 1922)
29 June ? Maurie Gordon , sport shooter (born 1926)

July [ edit ]

5 July
- Johnny Borland , high jumper, athletics administrator (born 1925)
- Max Carr , field athlete and coach, athletics official, air force officer (born 1922)
- Rex Pickering , rugby union player (born 1936)
14 July
- Ivan Bootham , writer, composer (born 1939)
- Hallard "Snow" White , rugby union player, coach and administrator (born 1929)
19 July ? Ray Bell , rugby union player (born 1925)
20 July
- Dick Corballis , English literature academic (born 1946)
- Ray Moreton , rugby union player (born 1942)
21 July ? Sid Hurst , farmer (born 1918)
22 July ? Lee Grant , actor, singer, choreographer (born 1931)
25 July ? Tony Lentino , motor racing team owner (born c. 1974)
26 July ? Henry Connor , botanist (born 1922)
30 July ? Peter Gossage , author and illustrator (born 1946)

August [ edit ]

2 August ? Terence Bayler , actor (born 1930)
3 August ? Chris Amon , motor racing driver (born 1943)
5 August ? Don Donnithorne , architect (born 1926)
7 August ? Sir Ron Scott , sports administrator (born 1928)
11 August ? Sir Ian Turbott , diplomat, university administrator (born 1922)
19 August ? Bob Skelton , jockey (born 1934)
22 August ? Don McIver , military leader, public servant (born 1936)
24 August ? Glen Evans , politician, mayor of Lower Hutt (1986?95) (born 1936)
29 August ? Edward Latter , military officer, politician, diplomat (born 1928)
30 August ? Brian Robinson , inorganic chemist (born 1940)

September [ edit ]

1 September ? Sir Graeme Douglas , businessman, pharmacist, philanthropist (born 1929)
4 September ? Ross McPherson , field hockey player, cricketer (born 1938)
7 September ? Don "D. J." Cameron , sports journalist (born 1933)
11 September ? Let's Elope , Thoroughbred racehorse (foaled 1987)
16 September ? Reese Griffiths , rugby league player (born 1937)
19 September ? Margaret Baird , immunologist (born 1945)
23 September

Arnold Green , rugby league player (born c. 1933)
Bill Johnson , actor (born 1924)

October [ edit ]

1 October
- Brian Bell , ornithologist (born 1930)
- Toni Williams , singer (born 1939)
3 October ? David Donald , cricketer (born 1933)
4 October ? Peggy Hay , designer (born 1924)
14 October
- Avis Higgs , textile designer, painter (born 1918)
- Helen Kelly , trade unionist (born 1964)
15 October
- Doug Anderson , rugby league player (born 1926)
- Octagonal , Thoroughbred racehorse (foaled 1992)
21 October ? Wally Argus , rugby union player (born 1921)
24 October ? Roger Slack , plant biologist and biochemist (born 1937)
29 October ? Tom Weal , politician (born 1929)
30 October ? Reg Boorman , politician (born 1935)

November [ edit ]

11 November ? Sir James McNeish , writer (born 1931)
13 November ? Leslie Kenton , journalist, entrepreneur (born 1941)
14 November ? Marti Friedlander , photographer (born 1928)
15 November ? Rod Bieleski , plant physiologist (born 1931)
16 November ? Jean Wishart , magazine editor (born 1920)
20 November
- Mita Mohi , rugby league player, mau r?kau and kapa haka exponent, youth worker (born 1939)
- Tim Raphael , Anglican priest (born 1929)
21 November ? Helen Ryburn , school principal, local-body politician (born 1925) ^[12]
22 November
- Mike Burgoyne , rugby union player (born 1951)
- Bev Malcolm , netball player (born 1920)
25 November ? Bill Skelton , jockey (born 1931)
28 November ? Ray Columbus , entertainer (born 1942)
29 November ? Margaret Belcher , literary scholar (born 1936)

December [ edit ]

3 December ? Sir David Hay , cardiologist, anti-smoking campaigner (born 1927)
6 December ? Elva Bett , artist, art historian, art gallery director (born 1918)
12 December ? Lord Gyllene , Thoroughbred racehorse (foaled 1988)
13 December ? Christopher Vance , Standardbred racehorse (foaled 1986)
14 December ? Bunny Walters , singer (born 1953)
15 December ? Richard Dowden , astrophysicist (born 1932)
18 December ? Frank Crotty , rower, industrial chemist (born 1938)
19 December ? Arthur Berry , cricketer (born 1928)
23 December ? Doug Coombs , cricketer, geologist (born 1924)
24 December ? Ron Broom , cricketer (born 1925)
25 December ? John Gregson , George Cross recipient (born 1924)
30 December ? Con Linton , sailor (born 1938)

References [ edit ]

^ ^a ^b "Subnational Population Estimates: At 30 June 2016 (provisional)" . Statistics New Zealand . 21 October 2016 . Retrieved 21 October 2016 . For urban areas, "Subnational population estimates (UA, AU), by age and sex, at 30 June 1996, 2001, 2006?16 (2017 boundary)" . Statistics New Zealand . 21 October 2016 . Retrieved 21 October 2016 .
^ "Lt Gen The Rt Hon Sir Jerry Mateparae" . Governor-General of New Zealand. Archived from the original on 3 June 2012 . Retrieved 8 June 2012 .
^ "New Zealand Navy Kicks off Seventy-Fifth Celebrations" . The Maritime Executive . Retrieved 28 January 2024 .
^ "New Zealand cliffs collapse in Christchurch earthquake" . BBC News . 14 February 2016 . Retrieved 28 January 2024 .
^ "2015 and 2016 Referendums on the New Zealand Flag" . Electoral Commission . Retrieved 28 January 2024 .
^ Ainge Roy, Eleanor (11 March 2016). "This article is more than 7 years old Zero-hour contracts banned in New Zealand" . The Guardian . Retrieved 28 January 2024 .
^ "Queen's 90th Birthday honours list 2016" . Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 6 June 2016 . Retrieved 7 January 2021 .
^ "A magnitude 7.1 earthquake occurred 120 km north-east of Te Araroa, New Zealand on Fri Sep 2 2016 4:37 AM. The quake was 22 kilometres deep and the shaking was severe close to the quake" . www.geonet.org.nz . Retrieved 28 April 2024 .
^ "New Year honours list 2017" . Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 31 December 2016 . Retrieved 7 January 2021 .
^ "Ballinger Belt" . National Rifle Association of New Zealand . Retrieved 26 March 2016 .
^ "Copy That" . Harness Racing New Zealand . Retrieved 14 August 2023 .
^ Sparks, Zizi (16 December 2016). "Strong-minded, whiskey-loving Auckland leader Helen Ryburn dies" . North Shore Times . Retrieved 16 April 2022 .

[NZ_population_data-1] "Subnational Population Estimates: At 30 June 2016 (provisional)" . Statistics New Zealand . 21 October 2016 . Retrieved 21 October 2016 . For urban areas, "Subnational population estimates (UA, AU), by age and sex, at 30 June 1996, 2001, 2006?16 (2017 boundary)" . Statistics New Zealand . 21 October 2016 . Retrieved 21 October 2016 .

[2] "Lt Gen The Rt Hon Sir Jerry Mateparae" . Governor-General of New Zealand. Archived from the original on 3 June 2012 . Retrieved 8 June 2012 .

[3] "New Zealand Navy Kicks off Seventy-Fifth Celebrations" . The Maritime Executive . Retrieved 28 January 2024 .

[4] "New Zealand cliffs collapse in Christchurch earthquake" . BBC News . 14 February 2016 . Retrieved 28 January 2024 .

[5] "2015 and 2016 Referendums on the New Zealand Flag" . Electoral Commission . Retrieved 28 January 2024 .

[6] Ainge Roy, Eleanor (11 March 2016). "This article is more than 7 years old Zero-hour contracts banned in New Zealand" . The Guardian . Retrieved 28 January 2024 .

[7] "Queen's 90th Birthday honours list 2016" . Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 6 June 2016 . Retrieved 7 January 2021 .

[8] "A magnitude 7.1 earthquake occurred 120 km north-east of Te Araroa, New Zealand on Fri Sep 2 2016 4:37 AM. The quake was 22 kilometres deep and the shaking was severe close to the quake" . www.geonet.org.nz . Retrieved 28 April 2024 .

[9] "New Year honours list 2017" . Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 31 December 2016 . Retrieved 7 January 2021 .

[10] "Ballinger Belt" . National Rifle Association of New Zealand . Retrieved 26 March 2016 .

[11] "Copy That" . Harness Racing New Zealand . Retrieved 14 August 2023 .

[12] Sparks, Zizi (16 December 2016). "Strong-minded, whiskey-loving Auckland leader Helen Ryburn dies" . North Shore Times . Retrieved 16 April 2022 .

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v t e 2016 in Oceania
Sovereign states	Australia East Timor (Timor-Leste) Fiji Kiribati Marshall Islands Federated States of Micronesia Nauru New Zealand Palau Papua New Guinea Samoa Solomon Islands Tonga Tuvalu Vanuatu
Associated states of New Zealand	Cook Islands Niue
Dependencies , colonies and other territories	American Samoa Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands French Polynesia Guam Hawaii New Caledonia Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Pitcairn Islands Tokelau Wallis and Futuna