2021 in New Zealand
New Zealand-related events during the year of 2021
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The following lists events that happened during 2021 in New Zealand.
Incumbents
Regal and vice-regal
- Head of State – Elizabeth II
- Governor-General – Patsy Reddy until 28 September, and then Cindy Kiro from 21 October[1]
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Elizabeth II -
Patsy Reddy -
Cindy Kiro
Government
Legislature term: 53rd New Zealand Parliament
The Sixth Labour Government, elected in 2020, continues.
- Speaker of the House – Trevor Mallard
- Prime Minister – Jacinda Ardern
- Deputy Prime Minister – Grant Robertson
- Leader of the House – Chris Hipkins
- Minister of Finance – Grant Robertson
- Minister of Foreign Affairs – Nanaia Mahuta
-
Trevor Mallard -
Jacinda Ardern -
Grant Robertson -
Chris Hipkins -
Nanaia Mahuta
Other party leaders in parliament
- National – Judith Collins until 25 November, then Christopher Luxon from 30 November (leader of the Opposition)
- Green – James Shaw and Marama Davidson
- ACT – David Seymour
- Māori Party – Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer
-
Judith Collins -
Christopher Luxon -
James Shaw -
Marama Davidson -
David Seymour
Judiciary
- Chief Justice – Helen Winkelmann
- President of the Court of Appeal – Stephen Kós
- Chief High Court judge – Susan Thomas
- Chief District Court judge – Heemi Taumaunu
-
Helen Winkelmann -
Stephen Kós
Main centre leaders
- Mayor of Auckland – Phil Goff
- Mayor of Tauranga – Tina Salisbury (acting), then Anne Tolley (as chair of commissioners) from 9 February[2]
- Mayor of Hamilton – Paula Southgate
- Mayor of Wellington – Andy Foster
- Mayor of Christchurch – Lianne Dalziel
- Mayor of Dunedin – Aaron Hawkins
-
Phil Goff -
Anne Tolley -
Paula Southgate -
Andy Foster -
Lianne Dalziell -
Aaron Hawkins
Events
January
- 29 December 2020 to 3 January – Riots between inmates and prison guards at Waikeria Prison, causing major fire damage to the complex.[3]
- 1 January – A bomb threat closes Gisborne Airport, causing evacuations and delayed flights.[4]
February
- 2 February – Lead is found in water of two Otago towns, Waikouaiti and Karitāne.
- 9 February – Māori Party co-leader and Member of Parliament Rawiri Waititi is not allowed to speak because he was wearing a traditional pendant rather than a tie.[5]
- 13 February - The Government pays NZ$40 million in compensation to 212 kiwifruit orchardists and Te Puke–based post harvest operator Seeka in order to settle a class action lawsuit alleging that the Government was liable for losses caused by a Pseudomonas syringae (PSA) outbreak in 2010.[6]
- 15 February – COVID-19 in New Zealand: Auckland moves to Alert Level 3, while the rest of New Zealand moves to Alert Level 2.[7]
- 17 February – COVID-19 in New Zealand: Auckland moves to Alert Level 2 from midnight while the rest of New Zealand reverts to Alert Level 1 from midnight.[8]
- 21 February – COVID-19 in New Zealand: Auckland moves to Alert Level 1 at midnight.[9]
- 27 February – COVID-19 in New Zealand: Auckland moves back into an Alert Level 3 lockdown for the next seven days while the rest of New Zealand moves back to an Alert Level 2.[10]
March
- 2 March: the Government announces a review into drug-purchasing agency Pharmac's timeliness and decision-making process.[11]
- 5 March
- A tsunami warning is issued following a 7.1M at 2.27am near East Cape and Gisborne.[12]
- A 7.4M at 6.40am hits the Kermadec Islands.[13]
- A tsunami threat and warning is issued for New Zealand after a 8.1M earthquake in the Kermadec Islands.[14] The Beehive Bunker has been activated. Tsunami land threat was dropped at 1.20pm by GNS to a beach and marine threat. The national tsunami advisory was later dropped at 3.43pm.[15]
- COVID-19 in New Zealand: Jacinda Ardern announces that Auckland will move to Alert Level 2 lockdown from Alert Level 3, with the rest of New Zealand moving down to Alert Level 1, at 6am, on 7 March.[16][17][18] The Ardern ministry will review the alert level of Auckland at the start of the weekend following the alert downgrade.[17]
- 7 March – COVID-19 in New Zealand: Auckland moves to Alert Level 2, with the rest of New Zealand moving to Alert Level 1.[19]
- 12 March – COVID-19 in New Zealand: Auckland moves to Alert Level 1 at midday.[19]
April
- 19 April – COVID-19 in New Zealand: Quarantine-free travel with Australia begins.[20]
- April – New Zealand's longest running television advertisement of Auckland Glass stops. It first aired in 1996.[21]
May
- 10 May – Four people are injured during a stabbing attack at a Countdown supermarket in central Dunedin[22]
- 17 May – COVID-19 in New Zealand: Quarantine-free travel with the Cook Islands begins.[23]
- 20 May – The 2021 Budget is delivered.[24]
- 24 May – Dame Cindy Kiro is announced as the next Governor-General.[25]
- 30 May – A state of emergency is announced in Ashburton, Selwyn and Timaru districts as torrential rain hits the Canterbury region.[26]
June
- 7 June – The 2021 Queen's Birthday Honours are announced.[27]
- 19 June – A tornado hit the southern Auckland suburb of Papatoetoe, killing one man and injuring two others.[28]
- 22 June – COVID-19 in New Zealand: New Zealand pauses the travel bubble with New South Wales as cases of COVID-19 surge in Sydney.[29]
- 23 June – COVID-19 in New Zealand: The Wellington Region moves to Alert Level 2, following a positive case of the delta variant who flew to Wellington from Sydney.[30] No outbreak occurred.
- 29 June – A state of emergency is declared in Wellington due to "coastal hazards".[31]
July
- 2 July – The government releases the dates of the Matariki public holiday for the next thirty years.[32]
- 16 July:
- A state of emergency is declared in the Buller District due to flooding. An emergency is declared in Marlborough the following day.[31]
- Farming advocacy group Groundswell NZ stage the nationwide "Howl of a Protest" campaign to protest the Government's freshwater, biodiversity, winter grazing, climate change, and Clean Car Package rebate scheme.[33][34]
- 23 July – New Zealand athletes begin competing at the 2020 Summer Olympics.[35]
August
- 8 August – New Zealand athletes finish competing at the 2020 Summer Olympics.[36]
- 17 August – COVID-19 in New Zealand: New Zealand enters Alert Level 4, following a positive case of the Delta Variant of COVID-19 in Auckland.[37]
- 24 August to 5 September 2021 – Athletes compete at the 2020 Summer Paralympics.
September
- 1 September – COVID-19 in New Zealand: New Zealand except for Auckland and Northland moved to Alert Level 3.
- 3 September – Seven people are injured during a stabbing attack at a Countdown supermarket in LynnMall, West Auckland. The attacker was shot and killed by police.[38]
- 8 September – COVID-19 in New Zealand: New Zealand except for Auckland moved to Alert Level 2.
- 14 September – The Māori Party (Māori: Te Pāti Māori) launch a petition to rename the official name of the nation to Aotearoa and restore Māori placenames by 2026.[39][40]
- 16 September – Three daughters are murdered by their mother, Lauren Dickason.[41][42]
- September – The average New Zealand house price passes $1 million for the first time.[43]
October
- 21 October
- Dame Cindy Kiro is sworn in as the 22nd Governor-General of New Zealand.[44]
- Prime Minister Ardern announces an agreement on a New Zealand–United Kingdom Free Trade Agreement, promising zero-tariffs and a $970m economic boost.[45]
November
- 4 November – A state of emergency is declared in Tairawhiti due to flooding.[46]
- 25 November – Judith Collins loses a confidence vote as leader of the National Party after her handling over a historic allegation regarding Simon Bridges. Shane Reti becomes interim leader.[47]
- 30 November – Christopher Luxon is elected leader of the National Party.[48]
December
- 2 December - COVID-19 in New Zealand: The alert level system is dropped in favour of the new traffic light system at 11:59 pm. Northland, Auckland, Taupō, Rotorua, Kawerau, Whakatane, Ōpōtiki, Gisborne, Wairoa, Whanganui and Ruapehu regions initially moved to 'Red' while the rest of the country was moved into 'Orange.'
- 16 December – The 2021 New Zealand bravery awards are announced.[49]
- 31 December – The 2022 New Year Honours are announced.[50]
Holidays and observances
Public holidays in New Zealand in 2021 are as follows:[51]
- 1 January – New Year's Day
- 2 January – Day after New Year's Day
- 4 January – Day after New Year's Day observed[A]
- 6 February – Waitangi Day
- 8 February – Waitangi Day observed[A]
- 2 April – Good Friday
- 5 April – Easter Monday
- 25 April – Anzac Day
- 26 April – Anzac Day observed[A]
- 7 June – Queen's Birthday
- 25 October – Labour Day
- 25 December – Christmas Day
- 26 December – Boxing Day
- 27 December – Christmas Day observed[A]
- 28 December – Boxing Day observed[A]
- ^ a b c d e If a holiday falls on a weekend, it is observed on the Monday or Tuesday following the actual date. If an employee would normally have worked on the Saturday or Sunday, the holiday will be observed on that date.
