2016 in New Zealand

← 2015 2014 2013 2016 in New Zealand → 2017 2018 2019
Decades:	1990s 2000s 2010s
See also:	Other events of 2016 Timeline of New Zealand history

Incumbents

Regal and vice-regal

• Head of State – Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of New Zealand
• Governor-General – The Hon. Sir Jerry Mateparae GNZM QSO

Government

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
• Deputy Prime Minister – Bill English
• Leader of the House – Gerry Brownlee
• Minister of Finance – Bill English
• Minister of Foreign Affairs – Murray McCully

Other party leaders

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

Main centre leaders

• Mayor of Auckland – Len Brown
• Mayor of Tauranga – Stuart Crosby
• Mayor of Hamilton – Julie Hardaker
• Mayor of Wellington – Celia Wade-Brown
• Mayor of Christchurch – Lianne Dalziel
• Mayor of Dunedin – Dave Cull

Events

February

• 14 February – significant aftershock in Christchurch causing various cliffs to collapse

March

• 3–24 March – Second flag referendum

August

• 5–21 August – 132 athletes from New Zealand will compete in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

October

• 8 October – New Zealand local elections

Sport

Shooting

• Ballinger Belt – Malcolm Dodson (Kaituna/Blenheim)

Deaths

January

• 2 January – Tim Francis, diplomat (born 1928)
• 5 January – Keith Thiele, World War II pilot (born 1921)
• 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)
• 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, Māori language activist, unionist (born c.1935)

February

• 1 February – Kelly McGarry, mountain biker (born 1982)
• 2 February
  • Chris Kenny, boxing trainer (born c.1938)
  • 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)
• 24 February – Ken English, rugby league player (born 1927)
• 26 February – Jack Forrest, rugby league player (born 1924)
• 29 February – Ranginui Walker, Māori activist and academic (born 1932)

March

• 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)
• 11 March – Sel Belsham, rugby league player, cricketer (born 1930)
• 16 March – George Menzies, rugby league player and coach (born 1930)
• 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 c.1940)

April

• 3 April
  • Rowley Habib, poet, playwright, short-story writer (born 1933)
  • Whai Ngata, broadcaster, journalist, lexicographer (born c.1942)
• 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

• 18 May – Ian Watkin, actor (born 1940)

June

• 1 June - Leonard Boyle, bishop (born 1930)