my-server
← Wiki

2024 in New Zealand

The following lists events that happened during 2024 in New Zealand.

Incumbents

Regal and vice-regal

Government

Legislature term: 54th New Zealand Parliament.

The Sixth National Government, elected in 2023, continues.

Other party leaders in parliament

Judiciary

Main centre leaders

Events

January

  • 3 January – The Waitangi Treaty Grounds and its museums are evacuated following a bomb threat received in an email.
  • 6 January – Learner licence 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.
  • 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.
  • 10 January – Train lines in Wellington lose power at around 3pm. Power is restored about six hours later.
  • 11 January – 10 hectares of scrub in TÄ«tahi Bay, Porirua is lit on fire, starting at around 11pm. It is contained the following day.
  • 14 January – The Auckland Light Rail project is cancelled by the government. The project oversaw building light rail system in Auckland.
  • 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.
  • Prime Minister Christopher Luxon meets with the Māori King, KÄ«ngi TÅ«heitia. Their discussions include the government's plans to remove Māori names from public organisations.
  • 16 January – Golriz Ghahraman announces her resignation as a Green Party Member of Parliament following three accusations of shoplifting in Auckland and Wellington.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • MetService issues a heat alert in Auckland due to night temperatures forecasted at 20–21 degrees.
  • 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. Three homes and a church are lost in the fires.
  • Celia Wade-Brown is declared elected a list MP for the Green Party following the resignation of Golriz Ghahraman.
  • Westland declares a state of emergency due to heavy rain.
  • 20 January
  • A national hui is held at TÅ«rangawaewae Marae, called by the Māori King TÅ«heitia Paki, which has several thousand attendees.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 22 January – The Commerce Commission launches investigations into pricing and promotional practices of the two supermarket chains Woolworths New Zealand and Foodstuffs.
  • 23 January – The New Zealand Defence Force deploys six personnel to assist the United States-led coalition in countering the Houthi movement's attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea following the Gaza war.
  • 24 January
  • Albert Park in Auckland is evacuated along with surrounding streets after a man made "concerning comments".
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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. Protesters vowed to continue their blockade over the weekend (27–28 January).
  • 30 January
  • James Shaw, co-leader of the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand announces his resignation, effective March.
  • 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.
  • 31 January
  • The government announces that the ending of providing free COVID-19 rapid antigen test kits will be extended to 30 June.
  • A heat alert is issued for Auckland, and outdoor fires are banned in Canterbury.

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.
  • 5 February – Rangiora High School closes for one day due to a high COVID-19 infection rate among its staff.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 8 February – Local state of emergency declared in the Southland township of Bluecliffs due to erosion caused by heavy rain and sea swell.
  • 10 February
  • Westpac experiences an outage in which customers are unable to withdraw funds and use eftpos cards for more than 12 hours.
  • A South Dunedin Countdown supermarket closes for at least a week, after suffering a rodent infestation.
  • 11 February – The government announces a $63 million funding increase for Cyclone Gabrielle recovery, to remove sediment and debris.
  • 12 February – The Ministry of Primary Industries starts an investigation at a Christchurch Countdown supermarket, after a mouse is spotted running across an uncovered deli-made salad.
  • 13 February – A memorial service is held at Muriwai to remember the death of two firefighters during Cyclone Gabrielle. A plaque was also unveiled.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Parliament repeals under urgency the Three Waters programme.
  • 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.
  • Thousands of shortfin eels are found dead in the Low Burn Stream near Mataura, Southland.
  • 21 February – Green MP Efeso Collins collapses and dies during a charity event.
  • 24 February – The new Kaeo Bridge in Northland opens after starting in 2021 and being unveiled in 2015.
  • 25 February – Food labels now must contain potentially life-threatening allergens bolded in the ingredients list.
  • 26 February – State Highway 1 over Brynderwyn Hills closes for repairs until 27 March.
  • 28 February
  • Parliament passes legislation under urgency repealing the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products (Smoked Tobacco) Amendment Act 2022 and disestablishing Te Aka Whai Ora (the Māori Health Authority).
  • The official cash rate is kept at 5.5%.
  • Warner Bros. Discovery releases a proposal to shut down television news broadcaster Newshub by 30 June 2024.
  • 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.
  • New Zealand Blood Service lifts the mad cow disease blood and plasma donation restriction.
  • The entirety of Hamas is designated as a terrorist entity by the government, which follows a 2010 designation of its military as terrorist.

March

April

  • 1 April
  • The minimum wage is increased from $22.70 to $23.15 an hour.
  • Pharmacies become permitted to vaccinate children under the age of five.
  • Electric and hybrid electric vehicles under 3.5 tonnes now have to pay road user charges, after previously being exempt.
  • 4 April – The New Zealand Government announces that local councils will have to hold referendums on Māori wards and constituencies.
  • 5 April – Thousands of students participate in 20 "climate strikes" events across the country.
  • 7 April – Changes to the Accredited Employer Worker Visa are announced due to 'unsustainable' immigration levels.
  • 9 April – TVNZ confirms its decision to discontinue its consumer affairs programme Fair Go, along with its midday and late night news bulletins.
  • 10 April
  • The OCR remains at 5.5%.
  • 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. 46 Air New Zealand flights are cancelled.
  • TVNZ confirms its decision to cancel its current affairs programme Sunday.
  • Warner Bros. Discovery confirms its decision to shut down its Newshub news service by 5 July.
  • 12 April
  • A pier on a rail bridge over the Rangitata River gets washed away due to heavy rain, causing the bridge to sag.
  • 52 Air New Zealand flights are cancelled due to bad weather and "engineering issues".
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Media companies Warner Bros. Discovery and Stuff announce an agreement to replace Newshub with a 6pm news bulletin provided by Stuff.
  • 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%.
  • Organisers of the New Zealand A&P Agricultural Show announce that the 2024 event will not go ahead, citing financial issues.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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".
  • 25 April – The Rangitata River rail bridge in the Canterbury Region reopens after damage from severe weather two weeks earlier.
  • 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.
  • 29 April
  • The government increases Pharmac funding by $1.7 billion over the next four years, increasing it to $6.3 billion.
  • The government's school cellphone ban comes into force on the first day of Term Two.
  • The first Popeyes restaurant in New Zealand opens.
  • NZTA launches a mobile app which serves several functions, such as paying vehicle registrations and road user charges.

May

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.
  • 1 June – Police in Levin arrest two individuals and impound six cars after a gathering with over 200 cars turns violent.
  • 3 June – The 2024 King's Birthday Honours are announced.
  • 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.
  • 7 June – National Party MP David MacLeod is referred by the Electoral Commission to the Police over undeclared election donations totalling almost NZ$178,000.
  • 8 June – 20,000 people take part in the "March for Nature" protest in Auckland against the Government's proposed Fast-track Approvals Bill.
  • 8–10 June – Rail workers affiliated with the Rail and Maritime Transport Union strike for over weekend leave and workload issues.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 13 June – Chinese Premier Li Qiang undertakes a state visit to reaffirm China–New Zealand relations.
  • 16 June – Air New Zealand Flight NZ607 experiences turbulence during a flight between Wellington and Queenstown, causing injury to a crew member and passenger.
  • 17 June
  • Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson announces her breast cancer diagnosis.
  • Virgin Airlines Boeing 737 VA148 makes an emergency landing in Invercargill after a bird strike.
  • 20 June
  • A falling transmission tower causes a power outage that affects almost 100,000 properties in Northland, which is most of the region. The power outage was caused by Omexon contractors removing all the nuts securing the tower to its baseplate in breach of safety protocols.
  • New GDP figures are revealed, marking the country's exit out of a recession. GDP rose by 0.2% since the last quarter although GDP per capita dropped by 0.3%. This is the sixth consecutive quarter that GDP per capita has fallen.
  • 21 June – Due to a steering problem, the Interislander ferry DEV Aratere runs aground near Picton. There are no injuries.
  • 22 June – Aratere is refloated.
  • 24 June – The Department of Conservation delays plans to create six marine reserves in the southeast South Island, which had been announced by the previous Labour Government in October 2023.
  • 25 June
  • Parliament receives a 60,000 strong petition opposing the National-led coalition government's plans to reverse the ban on live animal exports.
  • Torrential rain leads to flooding in Hastings and Wairoa, resulting in evacuations and local states of emergency.
  • Media company Stuff announces the closure of its last remaining Northland community newspapers: The Northern News, The Whangārei Leader and Far North Real Estate.
  • 26 June
  • Frederick Hobson and Shane Tane are sentenced for their roles in the murder of Janak Patel.
  • Lauren Dickason is sentenced to 18 years imprisonment for murdering her three children.
  • Three fishermen are found dead following heavy rainfall and winds that caused coastal inundation along the Eastern coast.
  • 27 June
  • Former Green Party MP Golriz Ghahraman is convicted of four charges of shoplifting and fined $1600 and court costs of $260.
  • Cadbury confirms that it had stopped production of chocolate fish in 2023 due to a lack of demand.
  • 29 June – Postal voting for the 2024 Tauranga local elections opens.
  • 30 June – Te Aka Whai Ora (the Māori Health Authority) is dissolved.

July

August

  • 1 August – A three-year boil water notice is issued for the Eastern Bush/Otahu Flat area in the Southland Region.
  • 2 August – Leaders of the Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Manuhiri and Te Roroa iwi (tribes) boycott an Iwi Chairs Forum meeting with several government ministers to protest the Government's alleged anti-Māori government policies.
  • 3 August – Three people die after their boat capsizes on the Riverton bar.
  • 5 August – New Zealand Warriors player and 2023 Dally M Awards winner Shaun Johnson announces his retirement from rugby league at the end of the 2024 season.
  • 7 August:
  • The Kaipara District Council votes to disestablish its Māori ward.
  • Lead contamination is reported in Tokomaru's water supply, with residents being told to use bottled water.
  • 12 August:
  • Severe weather hits the country from Gisborne to Canterbury. MetService issues a severe thunderstorm warning for the lower North Island.
  • Five schools in Nelson and Nelson Hospital go into lockdown as a precaution against a family harm incident.
  • 14 August:
  • The Reserve Bank drops the official cash rate by 25 basis points to 5.25 per cent, the first drop since March 2020.
  • Methamphetamine-laced lollies are accidentally distributed by anti-poverty charity Auckland City Mission, prompting a Police investigation in the Auckland Region.
  • 15 August – Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith issues an extradition order against fugitive Internet entrepreneur Kim Dotcom, allowing him to be moved to the United States.
  • 20 August – Unionised Hato Hone St John ambulance workers and call centre staff stage their first strike in response to a pay dispute.
  • 21 August – Three South Korean nationals are killed in a collision between a van and a four-wheel-drive vehicle near Geraldine, Canterbury Region.
  • 22 August: – Whakaari / White Island erupts, prompting flight cancellations.
  • 24 August – Unionised Hatone Hone St John ambulance workers and call centre staff hold a second nationwide strike in response to a pay dispute.
  • 26 August:
  • The Commerce Commission imposes a fine of NZ$420,000 on the dairy firm Milkio Foods Limited for mislabeling its ghee products as produced locally in New Zealand despite importing butter from India.
  • The Court of Appeal of New Zealand upholds the Employment Court's 2022 ruling that Uber drivers should be treated as employees rather than contractors.
  • 27 August:
  • The Commerce Commission imposes a fine of nearly NZ$2.5 million on TSB Bank for overcharging customers.
  • High Court Justice Peter Andrew orders the Head Hunters gang and its alleged boss Wayne Doyle to forfeit NZ$15 million worth in cash and property assets to the New Zealand Police.
  • Australian Police and New Zealand Police announce they have concluded a joint illicit drug operation that resulted in 1,611 arrests and 2,962 charges nationwide. The police also confiscated almost 1,400 kilograms (3,100 lb) of illicit drugs and over 2,500 cannabis plants, worth 93 million AUD (US$63 million).
  • Three Samoan seasonal workers are killed in a multi-vehicle crash in Ramarama, Auckland.
  • The Auckland Council cancels e-scooter company Beam after the company deployed more e-scooters than its licence allowed.
  • 28 August:
  • A roll out of an encypted emergency services radio system begins in South Canterbury, which prevents eavesdropping by the public. It is expected to be operating nationwide by 2026.
  • Parliament passes legislation requiring local councils to develop plans for delivering drinking water, wastewater and stormwater services as part of its "Local Water Done Well" programme.
  • 30 August – TÅ«heitia Paki, the Māori King, dies unexpectedly at the age of 69 after heart surgery.
  • 31 August – The Manahau tank barge runs aground near Westport.

September

October

November

December

Holidays and observances

Public holidays in New Zealand in 2024 are as follows:

Weather

Highest annual sunshine hours

Highest annual rainfall Lowest annual rainfall Highest recorded temperature Lowest recorded temperatures Highest recorded wind gust

Sport

Cricket

January
February
March
April

Horse racing

Harness racing

<section begin=Harness />

<section end=Harness />

Thoroughbred racing

Motorsport

Olympics

New Zealand sends a team of 195 competitors across 22 sports to the 2024 Summer Olympics, held in Paris from 26 July to 11 August.

Paralympics

New Zealand sends a team of 24 competitors across eight sports to the 2024 Summer Paralympics, held in Paris from 28 August to 8 September.

Rowing

Shooting

Tennis

The ASB Classic tournament is held in Auckland from 1 to 13 January:

Winter Youth Olympics

New Zealand sends a team of 22 competitors across seven sports to the 2024 Winter Youth Olympics, held in Gangwon, South Korea, from 19 January to 1 February.

Deaths

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Local government

Boundaries

References