2025 in New Zealand

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Decades:	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 have happened or are expected to happen during 2025 in New Zealand.

Incumbents

Regal and vice-regal

• Head of state – Charles III
• Governor-General – Cindy Kiro

• 
  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 until 31 May, and then David Seymour
• Leader of the House – Chris Bishop
• Minister of Finance – Nicola Willis
• Minister of Foreign Affairs – Winston Peters

• 
  Gerry Brownlee
• 
  Christopher Luxon
• 
  Winston Peters
• 
  David Seymour
• 
  Chris Bishop
• 
  Nicola Willis

Other party leaders in parliament

• Labour – Chris Hipkins (Leader of the Opposition)
• Green – Marama Davidson and Chlöe Swarbrick
• ACT – David Seymour
• NZ First – Winston Peters
• Te Pāti Māori – Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer

• 
  Chris Hipkins
• 
  Marama Davidson
• 
  Chlöe Swarbrick
• 
  David Seymour
• 
  Winston Peters
• 
  Rawiri Waititi
• 
  Debbie Ngarewa‑Packer

Judiciary

• Chief Justice – Helen Winkelmann
• President of the Court of Appeal – Christine French
• Chief High Court judge – Sally Fitzgerald
• Chief District Court judge – Heemi Taumaunu

• 
  Helen Winkelmann
• 
  Christine French

Main centre leaders

• Mayor of Auckland – Wayne Brown
• Mayor of Tauranga – Mahé Drysdale
• Mayor of Hamilton – Paula Southgate
• Mayor of Wellington – Tory Whanau
• Mayor of Christchurch – Phil Mauger
• Mayor of Dunedin – Jules Radich

• 
  Wayne Brown
• 
  Mahé Drysdale
• 
  Paula Southgate
• 
  Tory Whanau
• 
  Phil Mauger
• 
  Jules Radich

Events

January

• 1 January – A driver runs over two police officers on a foot patrol in Nelson, killing one and injuring the other. A 32-year-old man is arrested.
• 3 January:
  • A 32-year old man is charged with the murder of Nelson police officer Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming.
  • Biosecurity New Zealand launches a major biosecurity operation after an oriental fruit fly is detected in South Auckland.
  • Thousands attend a vigil in Nelson for slain police officer Lyn Fleming.
  • Air New Zealand flight NZ677 from Auckland to Dunedin is cancelled due to a phone threat, affecting 170 passengers.
• 4 January – Interislander and Bluebridge cancel a total of seven ferry crossings in response to rough weather conditions in the Cook Strait.
• 5 January – Interislander and Bluebridge cancel five ferry crossings in response to continuing rough weather in the Cook Strait.
• 6 January:
  • The Desert Road closes for two months of repairs.
  • Interislander and Bluebridge suspend ferry crossings due to rough weather in the Cook Strait.
• 8 January – Over 2,070 customers in the Kaipara District experience internet outages after a digger damages the main fibre optic cable between Whangārei and Dargaville.
• 9 January:
  • In response to significant public interest, New Zealand Parliament's justice select committee extends the submission deadline for the Treaty Principles Bill to 1pm on 14 January.
  • A fire engulfs 20 hectares (49 acres) of scrubland in Whangārei, leading to the evacuation of two houses.
• 11 January – A scrub fire breaks out in Kūaotunu in the Coromandel Peninsula, consuming 36 hectares (89 acres) by the following day.
• 12 January – Mayor of Hamilton Paula Southgate announces that she would not be running for a third term during the 2025 New Zealand local elections.
• 13 January:
  • New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates sign a comprehensive economic partnership agreement, cutting tariffs on 98.5% of New Zealand exports to that country.
• 14 January – Deputy Police Commissioner Jevon McSkimming is suspended from duties due to a criminal investigation by the Independent Police Conduct Authority and the New Zealand Police.
• 16 January:
  • Hundreds including Police Commissioner Richard Chambers attend the funeral of slain Nelson Police officer Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming.
  • Health New Zealand confirms a baby who died in November 2024 as the first death caused by whooping cough since a whooping cough epidemic was declared on 22 November 2024.
• 17 January – Minister of Māori Development Tama Potaka announces an overhaul of the Waitangi Tribunal's membership.
• 18 January:
  • A pod of about 30 whales are stranded near Pākawau in Golden Bay / Mohua, prompting a response from local iwi, the Department of Conservation(DOC) and Project Jonah.
  • A juvenile beaked whale is stranded and refloated at New Brighton, Christchurch.
• 19 January:
  • Prime Minister Christopher Luxon implements a cabinet reshuffle, resulting in the replacement of Shane Reti as health minister by Simeon Brown, and the promotion of James Meager to the new position of Minister for the South Island.
  • Three whales die after the pod of about 30 whales re-stranded at Pūponga Beach in Golden Bay despite efforts to refloat them.
• 20 January – A second pod of about 11 whales is stranded near Taupata Point in the Golden Bay.
• 21 January – DOC staff and volunteers succeed in refloating the initial pod of 30 whales and ten whales from the second pod. One of the whales from the second pod dies.
• 22 January:
  • Ten whales are re-stranded in Golden Bay, prompting a response from DOC and volunteers.
  • The Body Shop NZ goes into voluntary administration.
  • Media company NZME announces plans to cut 14 reporting and 24 production jobs as part of a restructuring process.
• 23 January:
  • DOC staff, Project Jonah and community volunteers succeed in refloating the ten stranded whales in Golden Bay.
  • Prime Minister Luxon gives his State of the Nation address. He announces that the existing Crown Research Institutes will be merged into three new Public Research Organisations and that the Government will establish a new foreign investment agency.
• 25 January – A tornado and severe storm hits Mangawhai and surrounding areas, causing two serious injuries, damage to about 50 properties and power outages affecting 4,700 homes.
• 27 January:
  • In order to attract digital nomads, a 'digital nomad' visa is announced to allow non-residents to work in New Zealand for up to nine months, given they work entirely remotely for a non-New Zealand company. The work will be untaxed for up to 90 days.
  • An outbreak of avian botulism leads to the deaths of about 1,000 birds at the Waikouaiti wastewater treatment plant near Dunedin and the Washdyke Lagoon near Timaru.
  • 27 January – New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters' suspends New Zealand's aid programme to Kiribati after Kiribati President Taneti Maamau cancelled three pre-arranged meetings including one scheduled for mid January 2025. The New Zealand Government had wanted to discuss how NZ$102 million worth of aid money allocated to Kiribati between 2021 and 2024 was being spent.
• 29 January:
  • Prime Minister Luxon and Transport Minister Chris Bishop announces plans by the Government to reverse blanket speed limits on 38 sections of the New Zealand state highway network and seek public consultation on raising the speed limits for another 49 state highway sections.
  • Advocacy group Toitū te Tiriti files an urgent Waitangi Tribunal claim against proposed Regulatory Standards Bill, claiming it would undermine the Treaty of Waitangi.
• 30 January:
  • Mount Taranaki is officially recognised as a person under the name Taranaki Maunga.
  • The $130 million Queenstown Town Centre arterial road opens.
• 31 January:
  • Health Minister Simeon Brown confirms that a new Dunedin Hospital will be built on the site of the former Cadbury factory at a cost of NZ$1.9 billion.
  • A power outage affects 22,000 Transpower customers in Rotorua.
  • The Royal New Zealand Air Force formally retires its fleet of five C-130H Hercules planes.
  • Save the Children New Zealand launches a 'Boot the Bill' campaign to oppose the Government's proposed legislation establishing youth offender boot camps.

February

• 2 February – Auckland Transport raises fares on buses, trains and ferries by 5.2% and ends the 10% off-peak discount.
• 4 February – 900 private sector laboratory workers strike to protest poor conditions and a lack of pay parity with their public sector counterparts.
• 5 February:
  • The New Zealand Government confirms it will invest between NZ$100–150 million in upgrading State Highway 76 in Christchurch.
  • It is announced that New Zealand's unemployment rate reaches 5.1%, the highest level since September 2020.
  • Several Māori leaders and attendees protest against several government ministers including David Seymour, Paul Goldsmith and Shane Jones during a pōwhiri leading up to Waitangi Day. Seymour's speech is disrupted while Jones threatens to cut government funding to the Waitangi National Trust.
• 6 February:
  • Prime Minister Christopher Luxon attends Waitangi Day celebrations at Ngāi Tahu's Ōnuku marae in Akaroa.
  • The town hall in Roxburgh, Otago, which included the country's longest-running cinema, is destroyed by fire.
  • The former building for New Zealand's sole Jewish school "Kadimah School" is vandalised with antisemitic graffiti referencing the Gaza war.
• 7 February:
  • Health New Zealand chief executive Margie Apa resigns four months before the end of her contract.
  • Taupō experiences heavy showers and thunderstorms, resulting in surface flooding and power outages.
• 9 February – The New Zealand Government announces plans to revise the Active Investor Plus visa to attract more wealthy investors.
• 10 February:
  • Driven by "pollution, degraded waterways, and over-allocation of water", Ngāi Tahu begins proceedings in the High Court against the Crown. The tribe argues that it has never lost rangatiratanga (sovereignty, or the right to exercise authority) over freshwater, but control has been encumbered by the Crown. The Crown's argument is that it has the right to control freshwater through the Resource Management Act 1991 and other acts. The lawsuit has been given the name "Tau v AG", with historian Te Maire Tau as the lead plaintiff, and the Attorney-General (currently Judith Collins) representing the Crown.
  • ACT leader David Seymour drives a Land Rover up the New Zealand Parliament's steps as part of a fundraiser for a heart valve development programme at the University of Auckland.
  • The Director of the Public Health Agency Nicholas Jones resigns.
• 11 February – The Australian company Millari Group announces plans to acquire and reopen Juken's former Gisborne saw mill, which closed in late 2023.
• 12 February:
  • The Whangārei District Council led by Mayor Vince Cocurullo reiterates its refusal to comply with an order by Director-General of Health Diana Sarfati to fluoridate its water supply.
  • The Salvation Army releases its annual State of the Nation report, which identifies food insecurity, unaffordable housing and domestic violence against children as major issues facing New Zealand in 2025. The report also finds over 400,000 New Zealanders receiving welfare.
  • McDonald's New Zealand is denied resource consent to build a restaurant in Wānaka due to strong local opposition.
• 13 February:
  • The Public Service Association challenges Health New Zealand's proposed digital and IT job cuts, claiming they breached employment law.
  • Crown Research Institute Callaghan Innovation proposes slashing 63 jobs in response to Government plans to disestablish the organisation.
• 14 February – Director-General of Health Diana Sarfati resigns.
• 15 February:
  • A bush fire in North Canterbury causes a section of State Highway 7 to close and several homes to evacuate.
  • Members of Destiny Church's "Man Up" group disrupt a "Pride and Rainbow" event at Te Atatū's library. The church's actions were condemned by Prime Minister Luxon, Mayor of Auckland Wayne Brown, Acting Waitematā District Commander Inspector Simon Walker and Labour leader Chris Hipkins.
  • Foreign Minister Winston Peters announces that New Zealand will be considering the newly ratified Chinese–Cook Islands strategic partnership agreement in light of its national interests and constitutional relationship with the Cook Islands.
• 17 February:
  • The New Zealand Police launch an investigation into assault complaints during a protest by Destiny Church members against a rainbow event at Te Atatū's library.
  • Immigration New Zealand temporarily suspends deportation proceedings against New Zealand-born teenager Daman Kumar and his mother Sunita Devi (who both hold Indian citizenship) pending a ministerial review. Prior to a law change in 2006, babies of non-citizens born in New Zealand were entitled to New Zealand citizenship.
• 18 February:
  • Government Statistician Mark Sowden confirms he will resign on 30 March after an inquiry by the Public Service Commission into data breach allegations at Manurewa Marae in 2023 criticised Statistics New Zealand's handling of personal information and management of conflicts of interest.
  • Torrential rain leads to flash flooding in parts of Otago including Beaumont.
• 19 February:
  • The New Zealand Government establishes a NZ$2 million dual purpose fund to honour children who died in care and were buried in unmarked graves.
  • A group of abuse survivors picket the Accident Compensation Corporation's Christchurch office, demanding the company reform eligibility coverage policies for abuse survivors.
• 20 February:
  • Associate Immigration Minister Chris Penk uses his discretionary powers to grant Davan Kumar a residency visa but upholds the deportation order against his overstayer parents.
  • Australian and New Zealand Defence Ministers Richard Marles and Judith Collins confirm that the Australian and New Zealand Defence Forces are monitoring three Chinese warships that are sailing through international waters near Sydney.
  • New Zealand Media and Entertainment confirms plans to layoff several senior reporters and create a new Free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channel.
• 21 February:
  • Flights between Australia and New Zealand are diverted after the Chinese Navy conducts live fire drills using warships 340 nautical miles east of Sydney, in international waters. The drills continued the following day and were closely monitored by the militaries of both Australia and New Zealand.
  • The New Zealand Government allocates NZ$200 million of funding for the City Rail Link to removing level crossings in order to ease traffic congestion in Auckland.
  • Andrew Bayly resigns as Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs after he "placed a hand" on a staff member's upper arm on 18 February, in what Bayly acknowledges as "overbearing" behavior.
• 22 February:
  • Police investigate five suspected overnight church arson attempts in Masterton.
  • Chinese warships conduct a second live firing exercise in the Tasman Sea. Prime Minister Luxon confirms that Australian and New Zealand naval forces including HMNZS Te Kaha are monitoring the Chinese vessels.
• 23 February:
  • LGBT supporters gather in Auckland's Albert Park to protest against Destiny Church's disruption of Pride events on 15 February.
  • The New Zealand Police confirm they are investigating graffiti at the former location of Auckland's Kadimah School, which was discovered on 6 February.
• 24 February – The Police confirmed they have seized 76 gang patches and filed 337 charges for alleged insignia breaches under the Gangs Act 2024.
• 25 February:
  • Immigration Minister Erica Stanford announces the Government will ease residency rules to recruit more primary school teachers from overseas.
  • Executive director Helen Potiki and legal counsels Nick Whittington and Kristy McDonald KC resign from the second phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons Learned.
• 26 February:
  • A wildfire engulfs over 70 hectares of land near Waipoua Settlement, leading to the evacuation of local residents.
  • Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith and Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee confirm the Government will introduce legislation expanding citizen's arrest powers that they claim will combat retail crime.
  • Foreign Minister Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to raise concerns about Chinese naval exercises in the Tasman Sea.
  • Police confirm they have issued a warrant to arrest a 44-year old man in connection with the arson of four Masterton churches on 22 February.
• 27 February – The New Zealand Government confirms it will introduce legislation to extend the parliamentary term from three to four years, subject to a referendum.
• 28 February:
  • High Court Justice Simon Moore quashes Whakaari Management Limited's conviction for its role in the 2019 Whakaari / White Island eruption.
  • Sarah Fitt resigns as chief executive of state pharmaceutical agency Pharmac.
  • Oranga Tamariki workers affiliated with Public Service Association launch a seven-week strike avoiding double shifts, being on-call, and working overtime to protest unsatisfactory pay and work conditions.

March

• 1 March – A thousand people attended a Pride march in Christchurch to mark the start of the month-long Christchurch Pride 2025 festival. A group of Destiny Church counter-demonstrators protest during a performance by drag performer Georgie Lush.
• 3 March:
  • The New Zealand Government announces a two-year primary care programme targeting 100 extra overseas-trained doctors to address a national shortage of doctors.
  • Anti-war protesters from Peace Action Ōtautahi climb onto the roof of armaments multinational company NIOA's New Zealand headquarters in Christchurch.
  • Water infrastructure company Wellington Water releases a critical report revealing poor financial practices, poor oversight of consultants and contractors and an alleged incident of theft.
• 4 March:
  • The Commerce Commission launches an investigation into allegations of "potential unlawful conduct" by Wellington Water contractors.
  • The Ministry for Primary Industries launches an investigation into School Lunch Collective meals after children were served meals with melted plastic packaging.
• 5 March:
  • Richard Prebble resigns from the Waitangi Tribunal, citing disagreements over the interpretation of the Treaty of Waitangi.
  • Adrian Orr resigns as Governor of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand.
• 6 March:
  • Foreign Minister Winston Peters sacks New Zealand High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Phil Goff over remarks criticising US President Donald Trump.
  • Health Minister Simeon Brown confirms the Government would lower the bowel screening eligibility age range from 60 to 58 years, using funding from a cancelled pilot programme established by the previous Labour government to lower the eligibility age for Māori and Pasifika New Zealanders from 60 to 50 years.
  • Air New Zealand CEO Greg Foran announces that he will resign from his position effective 20 October.
• 7 March:
  • New Zealand Labour Party leader Chris Hipkins announces a cabinet reshuffle of his shadow cabinet during his State of the Nation speech.
  • Health Minister Simeon Brown announces a major overhaul of Health New Zealand including reinstating its leadership board, decentralisation and promoting private-public partnership.
• 8 March:
  • A Pride parade is held in Wellington, with Mayor of Wellington Tory Whanau and actor Karen O'Leary attending. About 30 Destiny Church Man Up protesters stage a counter-protest. Police separate the two groups.
  • A total fire ban comes into force in the Northland Region from 12am midnight in response to persistent dry, hot and windy conditions.
• 11 March – School lunch provider Libelle Group goes into liquidation, affecting 500 staff. The company had been contracted by the Compass Group to provide 125,000 meals to the Government's "Ka Ora, Ka Ako" school meal programme.
• 12 March:
  • Camilla Belich's Crimes (Theft By Employer) Amendment Bill passes its third reading in Parliament with the support of the Labour, Green, Te Pāti Māori and New Zealand First.
  • Minister for Economic Growth Nicola Willis proposes scrapping several procurement rules including the Living Wage requirement for government contracts. She also proposes a new economic benefits test for both government services and building contracts.
  • The Whanganui District Council scraps its food scraps collection service in response to local opposition.
• 13 March – The New Zealand Government hosts a two-day Infrastructure Investment Summit in Auckland with the goal of attracting international investment from foreign sovereign funds and multinational companies. Protesters from various groups including ActionStation picket the summit's premises at Park Hyatt.
• 14 March:
  • Compass Group confirms it will acquire the assets of the bankrupt Libelle Group food catering service.
  • State Highway 1 Desert Road reopens after two months of repairs.
• 17 March:
  • The Whangārei District Council rescinds its decision in November 2024 to defy a Government directive to flouridate its water supply, pending a High Court injunction on the matter expected to be released on 18 March.
  • A 14-year-old youth is convicted of the manslaughter of Dunedin teenager Enere McLaren-Taana in May 2024.
• 20 March – The 2025 New Zealander of the Year Awards are announced, with women's health academic Bev Lawton named New Zealander of the Year.
• 21 March:
  • Wellington High Court Justice Jason McHerron dismisses a judicial review against Cuba Street's rainbow crossing.
  • The New Zealand Defence Force proposes disestablishing 697 civilian roles as part of a restructuring process.
• 23 March:
  • Hundreds of protesters gather outside the New Zealand Parliament to protest against the Government's plans to review the prescription of puberty blockers in "gender affirming care."
  • New Zealand First leader and Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters delivers a state of the nation speech at the James Hay Theatre in Christchurch, focusing on alleged wokeism and DEI issues. The event is picketed by both pro and anti-greyhound racing, pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel protesters. Police arrest 10 individuals for disrupting the event.
• 25 March:
  • The High Court rejects the Whangārei District Council's bid to challenge the Director-General of Health's order to flouridate its water supply.
  • A magnitude 6.8 earthquake hits off the coast of Southland, producing a 10 cm (3.9 in)-tsunami. Cracks in the Dunedin Gasworks Museum were later found and may have been caused by the earthquake.
  • The Tararua District Council issues a boil water notice in Woodville after rodent feces were found in the rafters of the town's reservoir building.
• 26 March:
  • Queenstown residents protest against a decision by the Queenstown Lakes District Council to discharge treated sewage into the Shotover River.
  • Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey acknowledges that Police accidentally sent an 11-year old autistic girl to a mental institution following a case of mistaken identity. The girl received at least two doses of anti-psychotic medicine.
• 29 March – A light aircraft crashes near Wānaka, killing one person.
• 31 March:
  • Minister for Rail Winston Peters releases details of the two new Interislander replacement ferries, which come with rail emplacements.
  • The New Zealand Crown settles a Treaty of Waitangi claim with Ngāti Hāua following eight years of negotiations. Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith apologises for historical wrongs at Ngāpūwaiwaha Marae in Taumarunui.

April

• 1 April:
  • The minimum wage rises by 1.5% from $23.15 to $23.50. In addition, training and starting wages rise to $18.80.
  • The Queenstown Lakes District Council strips Councillor Niki Gladding of her roles after she leaked plans by the Council to dump treated effluent into the Shotover River.
• 3 April – The New Zealand Parliament passes legislation repealing Section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989, which requires Oranga Tamariki (the Ministry of Children) to work in partnership with Māori iwi (tribes) and hapū (sub-groups).
• 4 April:
  • The Financial Markets Authority commences civil proceedings against insurance company IAG New Zealand for overcharging about 239,000 customers $35 million by incorrectly pricing premiums over the past two decades.
  • The New Zealand Parliament's Justice select committee recommends that the ACT party's contentious Treaty Principles Bill not proceed further following substantial public feedback.
  • The Royal New Zealand Navy's court of inquiry concludes that a series of human errors led to the sinking of HMNZS Manawanui (2019) in early October 2024.
• 6 April – Several Greenpeace New Zealand protesters occupy part of Port Taranaki to prevent an Indonesian ship carrying palm kernel from unloading. Police arrest four protesters.
• 7 April:
  • A bomb threat leads to the disruption of proceedings at the Wellington and Palmerston North district courts.
  • Defence Minister Judith Collins announces that the New Zealand Government will be investing NZ$12 billion in the New Zealand Defence Force over the next four years to raise defence spending to over 2 percent of GDP.
• 8 April:
  • A tornado in Levin causes roofs to blow off houses, and trees and fences to fall over.
  • Labour Member of Parliament David Parker announces he will retire from Parliament, effective next month.
  • Climate Change Minister Simon Watts confirms that the New Zealand Government will shut down its green investment bank New Zealand Green Investment Finance.
• 9 April – The Grey District Council issues a boil water notice after coliforms were found in the water supply zones of Stillwater, Cobden, and Kaiata, and Escherichia coli was detected in Kaiata.
• 10 April – The New Zealand Parliament votes 112–11 to reject the Treaty Principles Bill.
• 11 April:
  • Veterans Minister Chris Penk announces that the New Zealand Government will expand the legal definition of veterans and create a new national veterans day.
  • Foreign Minister Winston Peters confirms plans to ease visa requirements for visitors from Pacific Islands Forum member states in July and November 2025.
• 16 April:
  • The Otago and Southland Regions experience Internet and mobile outages after fibre optic cables are damaged by rodents and a contractor by accident.
  • A fire near Paremata railway station in Porirua disrupts the Kapiti Line.
  • Cyclone Tam causes significant power outages in Northland and leads to the cancellation of flights and ferry services in Auckland.
• 17 April – Cyclone Tam causes over 6,000 properties in Northland, the Coromandel Peninsula, Bay of Plenty and Gisborne to lose power overnight.
• 18 April – Cyclone Tam causes flooding to roads and highways in the Coromandel Peninsula. Flooding and strong-winds are also reported in the Far North District, leading to road closures and flight disruptions.
• 19 April – Cyclone Tam causes flooding, thunderstorms and travel disruptions in Auckland. Local authorities issue an emergency alert.
• 20 April:
  • Auckland authorities issue a second emergency alert in response to flooding and thunderstorms caused by Cyclone Tam.
  • 70 protesters affiliated with the Happy Valley Coalition occupy a fast-tracked coal mine on the Denniston Plateau near Westport.
• 21 April – Cyclone Tam begins easing, despite heavy rain and thunderstorms across New Zealand. Power companies work on restoring power to Northland homes. The Auckland Council inspects 16 flood-damaged properties.
• 22 April – Power companies restore power to most houses in Northland, with 25 Far North homes remaining disconnected.
• 23 April – Police remove the last remaining protesters from a coal mine in the Denniston Plateau. Seven people were charged with trespassing while three were arrested.
• 24 April – A fire breaks out at a recycling plant in the Wairau Valley in Auckland's North Shore, causing significant damage including a chemical spill contaminating several beaches in the North Shore.
• 28 April:
  • Education Minister Erica Stanford announces that the New Zealand Government will invest $53 million in covering teachers' registration and practising certificate fees over the next three years.
  • The Ministry for Primary Industries lifts biosecurity restrictions at a Mainland Poultry farm in Otago where the H7N6 avian influenza strain was detected in late 2024.
• 29 April:
  • Mayor of Wellington Tory Whanau confirms she will not contest the 2025 Wellington mayoral election and endorses Andrew Little.
  • Fonterra confirms it will close its Hamilton canning and packing facility in July 2025, affecting 120 jobs.
• 30 April:
  • New Zealand–Philippines relations: Defence Minister Judith Collins signs a visiting forces agreement with her Philippine counterpart, Gilbert Teodoro, in Manila.
  • Education Minister Erica Stanford and Finance Minister Nicola Willis confirm that the NZ Government will introduce financial literacy into the primary school curriculum from 2027.
  • Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith announces that the NZ Government will reinstate a blanket ban on prisoners voting.

May

• 1 May:
  • 5,000 senior doctors affiliated with the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists strike in response to a pay dispute with national health service Health New Zealand.
  • States of emergency are declared in Selwyn District, Christchurch and Banks Peninsula due to flooding and landslides, amid poor weather affecting most of the country. About a thousand properties in Wellington experience power outages. Most flights to and from the city are cancelled, and so are Cook Strait ferry crossings. Wind gusts in the city reach up to 150 km/h.
• 2 May – The state of emergency is lifted in the Selwyn District. States of emergency remain in effect in Christchurch and Banks Peninsula.
• 3 May – 400 protesters gather in Dunedin's Octagon to protest against the New Zealand First party's member's bill defining women and men based on their sexual biology.
• 6 May – The Commerce Commission files criminal charges against supermarket giant Woolworths New Zealand for alleged inaccurate pricing and misleading discounts.
• 7 May:
  • Convicted murderer Mark Lundy is released on parole after serving 23 years of a life sentence for the murders of his wife Christine and daughter Amber in August 2000.
  • The New Zealand Government ends the requirement for overseas visitors to provide certified translations of supporting documents in a bid to boost tourism.
  • The New Zealand Parliament passes urgent legislation raising the threshold for making pay equity claims. As a result, 33 claims representing thousands of workers have to be dropped and refiled.
• 9 May – Protesters gather in several centres including Auckland, Dunedin, Christchurch, Rolleston and New Plymouth to protest against the Government's new Pay Equity Amendment Act 2025.
• 10 May – Protest against the Government's new Pay Equity legislation are held in Nelson and Ōtaki.
• 11 May – The Christchurch City Council extends the state of emergency in Banks Peninsula in response to a landslip in Akaroa.
• 12 May:
  • Mayor of Christchurch Phil Mauger lifts Banks Peninsula's local state of emergency.
  • Deputy Police Commissioner Jevon McSkimming resigns following a four-month Police and Independent Police Conduct Authority investigation into serious misconduct including pornography being found on a Police-issued device.
• 14 May – A parliamentary committee approves a motion against Te Pāti Māori MPs Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke, Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer censuring and banning them from entering the parliamentary buildings for up to 21 days for their performance of a haka against their opponents during a parliamentary debate over the Treaty Principles Bill.
• 15 May – The New Zealand Government apologises to the Māori iwi Ngāti Ranginui for land confiscations and a scorched earth campaign during the New Zealand Wars. Parliament also passes legislation compensating the tribe NZ$38 million and designating 15 sites of significances to the tribe.
• 16 May:
  • The USS Blue Ridge visited Wellington to reaffirm bilateral relations with New Zealand. This marked the first visit to Wellington by a US warship since 2021.
  • The Waitangi Tribunal releases an interim report urging the New Zealand Crown to halt work on the proposed Regulatory Standards Bill and to engage in "meaningful consultation" with Māori.
  • Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones, Labour Party MP Ingrid Leary attend a reopening ceremony at Hillside Engineering. Pro-Palestine, transgender rights, pay equity and climate change protesters picket the event.
• 20 May:
  • Foreign Minister Winston Peters joins 22 other foreign ministers and the European Union in calling on Israel to allow a full resumption of aid to the Gaza Strip.
  • Two groups of protesters gather outside the New Zealand Parliament to call for the NZ Government to lower the bowel cancer screening age and oppose the suspension of three Te Pāti Māori MPs.
  • The New Zealand Parliament votes to postpone a debate on the Privileges Committee's decision to suspend three Te Pāti Māori MPs until 5 June, allowing them to participate in an upcoming debate around the 2025 New Zealand budget.
• 22 May:
  • Finance Minister Nicola Willis releases the 2025 New Zealand budget.
  • The Wellington City Council votes to preserve the historic Begonia House and Khandallah Pool, while making cutbacks in transport infrastructure and renovations to Wellington Zoo. The Council also introduces parking fees for motorcycles in the Wellington CBD.
• 23 May – The New Zealand Geographic Board and Land Information Minister Chris Penk decline a proposal by the Kororāreka Marae Society to rename Russell to its Māori language name "Kororāreka".
• 24 May – Three crew members are injured in an engine room explosion aboard a ship berthed in Bluff.
• 26 May:
  • Two of the New Zealand Government's "non-financial benefit sanctions" come into force: namely money management payment cards and community work experience activities.
  • Heavy rain leads to flooding in Nelson and Westport.
• 27 May:
  • Police Commissioner Richard Chambers overturns a directive from March 2025 instructing Police officers not to investigate "lower value" thefts, petrol drive-offs, shoplifting and fraud crimes.
  • The Department of Conservation proposes axing 84 jobs to meet a Government directive for a 6.5 percent reduction in spending.
• 28 May:
  • Health Minister Simeon Brown and Finance Minister Nicola Willis announce that the Government will invest in 126 additional beds and treatment spaces at Wellington Hospital.
  • Anti-mining protesters picket ANZ Bank branches in Dunedin and other centres to protest against the bank's relationship with coal company Bathurst Resources, which has applied for a fast-track consent to mine the Denniston Plateau.
• 29 May:
  • The Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) launches an explosion into a boiler room explosion aboard a ship berthed in Bluff that occurred on 24 May.
  • A car crash causes a power outage and traffic disruption in Rotorua's Pukehangi suburb.
• 30 May:
  • Police launch a review into how many cases of retail crime were filed after the rescindment of a controversial directive directing the Police not to investigate lower-value retail crimes.
  • 50 pay equity protesters picket a post-budget business lunch featuring Finance Minister Nicola Willis outside the Addington Raceway event centre.
  • Accident Compensation Corporation chair Tracey Batten resigns effective immediately,
  • Four separate ruptures to Dargaville's water pipeline causes disruptions to the town's water supply.

David Seymour (left), after being sworn in as deputy prime minister at Government House, Auckland, with the governor-general, Dame Cindy Kiro (centre), and the prime minister, Christopher Luxon

• 31 May:
  • David Seymour succeeds Winston Peters as deputy prime minister, under the terms of the coalition agreement in 2023.
  • Strong winds cause power outages in parts of Otago and the Southland Region.

June

• 1 June – Mark Rocket becomes the first New Zealander to reach space after flying on the Blue Origin NS-32 suborbital spaceflight.
• 2 June:
  • The 2025 King's Birthday Honours are announced. Notable recipients include comedian Dai Henwood, Suzy Cato, Louise Wallace and Jude Dobson.
  • Australian mining company Siren Gold is granted a permit to explore gold and antimony in the Marlborough Sounds.
• 3 June:
  • Online retailer Trade Me acquires a 50 percent stake in media company Stuff's Stuff Digital division.
  • Former National Party minister and MP Steven Joyce becomes chair of media company NZME's board while Canadian billionaire Jim Grenon becomes the company's director following a board meeting.
  • The 90,000 Pawprint Petition calling for a ban on the public sale of fireworks is presented to the New Zealand Parliament.
  • WorkSafe New Zealand launches a new road cone online tipline.
  • The Kaipara District Council confirms that Dargaville's water supply pipeline is fully repaired following four days of disruptions caused by four separate ruptures.
• 4 June – The navigation radar of HMAS Canberra's accidentally disrupts Internet service and radio signals over a large area spanning Taranaki in the North Island to the Marlborough District in the South Island. When made aware, Canberra's crew changed her systems to non-interfering frequencies.
• 5 June:
  • Police charged three individuals with manslaughter in relation to the Loafers Lodge fire.
  • Parliament votes to suspend Te Pāti Māori MPs Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke for seven days, Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer for 21 days for their performance of a haka against their opponents during a parliamentary debate over the Treaty Principles Bill.
  • Michael Forbes, the deputy press secretary to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, resigns after being accused of illegally photographing, filming and recording women including sex workers.
• 6 June:
  • Damage to one of Chorus Limited's ethernet routers causes widespread Internet outages in Wellington and parts of the lower North Island.
  • The SkyCity Entertainment Group sues Fletcher Building and Fletcher Construction for NZ$330 million on the grounds that the companies had breached their contract to build the New Zealand International Convention Centre at SkyCity Auckland within three years. The Fletcher Group has confirmed they would contest the lawsuit.
• 10 June — Lawyers for Climate Action NZ and the Environmental Law Initiative sue the New Zealand Government at the Wellington High Court over its allegedly "dangerously inadequate" plan to reduce carbon emissions to net zero by 2050.
• 11 June:
  • Te Ahu a Turanga – Manawatū Tararua Highway opens to all traffic, after a formal opening ceremony on 7 June.
  • A tornado-like squall causes power outages in the Taranaki region.
  • The New Zealand government joins the British, Australian, Canadian and Norwegian governments in imposing travel bans on Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich for allegedly inciting "extremist violence" against Palestinians in the West Bank.
  • The National Library of New Zealand confirms it will destroy 500,000 unwanted books after US publishers challenged its plans to sell the collection to the online archive Internet Archive.
  • The DEV Aratere experiences an electrical fault at 8:50pm, delaying a night-time voyage from Picton to Wellington.
• 13 June:
  • Tingjun Cao is sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 17 years for the murder of Christchurch real estate agent Yanfei Bao.
  • A fire in Lyttelton destroys two properties, damages a third and leads to the evacuation of local residents.
  • Police seize 478 firearms in Gore, marking one of the largest firearms seizures in New Zealand history.
• 15 June – Auckland department store Smith & Caughey's closes its Queen Street store, ending 145 years of trading.
• 17 June:
  • A ban of the distribution, manufacture, sale and supply of disposable vapes, and new restrictions on advertising and promotion of vaping products, come into effect.
  • New World's Victoria Park supermarket in Auckland experiences significant damage during a massive fire.
  • The Sentencing (Reinstating Three Strikes) Amendment Act 2024 comes into force, applying to 42 serious crimes including homicides, sexual assault, aggravated robbery, abduction, strangulation and suffocation.
• 18 June:
  • The New Zealand Government announces the scrapping of the five-yearly national census.
  • The Māori iwi (tribe) Te Patutokotoko files legal action against Conservation Minister Tama Potaka and the Department of Conservation for not consulting them about granting ten-year concessions to Whakapapa Holdings Limited and Pure Tūroa to run the Tūroa and Whakapapa skifields.
  • New World's Victoria Park supermarket in Auckland is extensively damaged during a major fire.
• 19 June – The New Zealand Government confirms it suspended NZ$20 million of core sector support funding to the Cook Islands in early June 2025 in retaliation for the Cook Islands government signing a partnership agreement with China without consulting New Zealand, per the requirements of their free association relationship.
• 20 June – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing to discuss strengthening bilateral tourism, education and agricultural trade.
• 21 June – Brian Tamaki's Destiny Church stages a march in Auckland's Aotea Square opposing the spread of non-Christian religions and immigration in New Zealand. Destiny Church's actions are denounced by Minister for Ethnic Communities Mark Mitchell.
• 24 June – Dunedin Airport receives its first international flight—a Jetstar flight from Gold Coast Airport—since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
• 25 June – Nelson Hospital switches from coal to landfill gas as part of a nationwide decarbonisation shift.
• 26 June:
  • A state of emergency is declared in the Wairau-Awatere Ward of Marlborough due to heavy rain.
  • 32 Māori land trusts (representing over 150,000 landowners, hapu (sub-groups) and iwi (tribes) file legal proceedings against the New Zealand Crown at the High Court urging the Government to stop the degradation of fresh water, honour the Treaty of Waitangi and Māori rights over water and geothermal resources.
• 27 June:
  • A state of emergency is declared in Nelson and Tasman due to heavy rain and flooding . Residents of parts of Spring Creek are asked to evacuate in response to concerns that heavy overnight rain could cause the Wairau River to flood.
  • New Zealand First list Member of Parliament Tanya Unkovich resigns to concentrate on work in the private sector.
• 28 June – A tornado in Waitara damages 11 homes.
• 29 June — The Government's sentencing reforms, which reduces sentencing discounts and encourages cumulative sentencing, comes into effect.
• 30 June – Oji Fibre Solutions ceases paper production operations at its Kinleith Mill in Tokoroa, affecting 230 jobs.

July

• 1 July:
  • The Government's Healthy Homes standards come into effect, parental leave payments increase, Jobseeker welfare beneficiaries will need to reapply every six months, the Government's KiwiSaver contributions drop from 50 cents to 25 cents per dollar, ACC payments increase by 2.89%, and public transport fares rise nationwide.
  • Farms will be required to keep raw milk records in order to combat the spread of mycoplasma bovis.
  • The weight loss drug Semaglutide (Wegovy) becomes available in New Zealand.
  • Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith and Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announce several tougher penalties that they claim will combat shoplifting.
• 3 July:
  • Goldsmith and McKee announce longer periods and fines for trespassing.
  • Local authorities extended the state of emergency in Nelson, Tasman and Marlborough for another seven days in response to forecast heavy rain.
  • A severed fiber-optic cable causes mobile phone and power outages in Golden Bay, Tasman.
  • A line fault causes power outages to 2,000 properties in the Selwyn District including Rolleston and Templeton.
  • Torrential rain leads to flooding, landslips, sewage overflows and evacuations in parts of Taranaki including New Plymouth. Significant flooding is reported in Ōkato, Egmont Village, New Zealand State Highway 3, and Eltham. New Plymouth's sewage system is also inundated.
• 4 July – Defence Minister Judith Collins announces the reactivation of No. 62 Squadron RNZAF as the New Zealand Defence Force's first dedicated space force unit.
• 10 July – Civil defence authorities declare a pre-emptive state of emergency in Nelson-Tasman in response to MetService's orange heavy rain warning for the region.
• 11 July:
  • A 14-year-old boy is sentenced to three years and three months in prison for the killing of Enere McLaren-Taana.
  • MetService issues a red heavy rain warning in parts of the Tasman District in response to heavy rain and flooding. 100 homes are evacuated due to flooding.
  • MetService also issues orange heavy rain warnings in the Northland Region, Auckland Region, Waikato and Coromandel Peninsula.
• 12 July — MetService lifts weather warnings for much of the country except the Westland ranges. Hundreds of households in the Tasman District and Banks peninsula experience weather-related power cuts.
• 15 July — The Commerce Commission files civil proceedings against Foodstuffs North Island and its subsidiary Gilmours for alleged cartel conduct.
• 16 July — Education Minister Erica Stanford announces that the New Zealand Government will be ending open-plan class rooms in favour of single-cell classrooms.
• 18 July — The Gore District Council issues a directive not to drink tap water in Gore due to high nitrate levels.
• 21 July:
  • Health Minister Simeon Brown announces that the New Zealand Government will contribute NZ$82.5 million to the establishment of the University of Waikato's medical school; with the university and private philanthropists contributing the remaining NZ$150 million.
  • The Commerce Commission files criminal charges against electronics retailer Noel Leeming for alleged breaches of the Fair Trading Act 1986.
  • The Gore District Council lifts its "do not drink tap water" directive for Gore.
• 22 July:
  • Sky TV buys TV3 for a symbolic $1; marking the exit of Warner Bros. Discovery from New Zealand's free-to-air television space. The sale comes into effect on 1 August.
  • New Zealand joins 24 other countries including Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan and the European Union in issuing a joint statement calling for the Gaza war to end.
  • Representatives of several Jewish and Muslim community groups including the New Zealand Jewish Council and the Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand (FIANZ) sign a "harmony and peace accord" to improve interfaith relations amidst the Gaza war.

Predicted and scheduled

• 30 July – 36,000 nurses, midwives, and other health workers affiliated with the New Zealand Nurses Organisation will strike to protest unsafe staffing levels at Te Whatu Ora facilities.
• 31 July – Stuff will shut down 15 community newspapers including the Western Leader and The Hutt News.
• 30 August – KiwiRail's Cook Strait ferry DEV Aratere will be retired.
• 22 September – A partial solar eclipse will be visible across mainland New Zealand, starting at sunrise and reaching maximum around 7 am.
• 11 October – The 2025 local elections, including local referendums on Māori wards and constituencies, will be held.
• November:
  • The New Zealand Government launches a three-month visa waiver trial for Chinese citizens with valid Australian visitor, work, family or student visas.
  • Chinese citizens will no longer need transit visas while travelling through New Zealand airports, and will be eligible to apply for the New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZETA).
• 31 December:
  • The 2026 New Year Honours will be announced.
  • Telecommunications companies 2degrees, One New Zealand, and Spark New Zealand will end their 2G and 3G mobile network services.

Holidays and observances

Public holidays in New Zealand in 2025 are as follows:

• 1 January – New Year's Day
• 2 January – Day after New Year's Day
• 6 February – Waitangi Day
• 18 April – Good Friday
• 21 April – Easter Monday
• 25 April – Anzac Day
• 2 June – King's Birthday
• 20 June – Matariki
• 27 October – Labour Day
• 25 December – Christmas Day
• 26 December – Boxing Day

Sport

Cricket

January

• New Zealand completes 2–1 series win over Sri Lanka in a three-match Twenty20 International series in New Zealand.
• New Zealand defeats Sri Lanka 2–1 in a three-match ODI series in New Zealand.

Football

• 24 March – New Zealand qualifies for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after defeating New Caledonia 3–0 in Auckland.

Horse racing

Harness racing

• Rowe Cup – Bet N Win

Thoroughbred racing

• Auckland Cup – Trav
• Wellington Cup – Wolfgang

Lawn bowls

• Men's singles champion – Matt Berry (Pringle Park Bowling Club)
• Men's pair champions – Jamie Hill (Mt Albert Bowling Club), Lance Pascoe (Elmwood Park Bowling Club) (skip)
• Women's singles champion – Debbie White (Hinuera Bowling Club)
• Women's pair champions – Lisa Prideaux (Auckland Bowling Club), Olivia Bloomfield (New Lynn Bowling Club) (skip)

Rowing

• New Zealand Secondary School Championships (Maadi Cup)
  • Maadi Cup (boys' U18 eight) – Westlake Boys High School
  • Levin Jubilee Cup (girls' U18 eight) – St Margaret's College
  • Star Trophy (overall points) – King's College

Rugby union

• 9 June – Mark Robinson announces his resignation as chief executive of the New Zealand national rugby union team effective at the end of the year, citing family reasons.

Shooting

• Ballinger Belt – Ross Geange (Hamilton Whatawhata)

Tennis

The ASB Classic tournament is held in Auckland from 28 December 2024 to 11 January 2025:

• Women's singles – Clara Tauson
• Women's doubles – Jiang Xinyu / Wu Fang-hsien
• Men's singles – Gaël Monfils
• Men's doubles – Michael Venus / Nikola Mektić

Deaths

January

• 1 January – Helen Hogan, educator (Hillmorton High School, WEA), editor of poetry anthologies, and Māori studies scholar (born 1923).
• 2 January – Lex Clark, Olympic rower (1964) (born 1943).
• 3 January
  • Kate Coolahan, commercial artist, fashion illustrator, printmaker, and design educator (Wellington Polytechnic) (born 1929).
  • Dame Tariana Turia, politician, Labour list MP (1996–2002), MP for Te Tai Hauāuru (2002–2014), co-leader of the Māori Party (2004–2014), Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector (2003–2004, 2008–2011), Minister for Disability Issues (2009–2014), Minister for Whānau Ora (2010–2014) (born 1944).
• 5 January
  • Philippa Blair, artist (born 1945).
  • Lou Robinson, structural engineer and heritage advocate (born 1943).
• 7 January – Arthur Pomeroy, classical scholar (Victoria University of Wellington), chess player and administrator (born 1953).
• 18 January – Russell Marshall, politician and diplomat, MP for Wanganui (1972–1990), Minister of Education (1984–1987), Minister of Foreign Affairs (1987–1990), chancellor of Victoria University of Wellington (2000–2002), High Commissioner to the United Kingdom (2002–2005) (born 1936).
• 19 January – David Johnston, disaster researcher (Massey University) (born 1966).
• 20 January – Richard Hipa, Niuean public servant and politician, Secretary of Government (2008–2017), Member of the Niue Assembly (2020–2023) (born 1957).
• 21 January
  • Diana Beaglehole, historian (born 1938).
  • Hansgerd Delbrück, scholar of German literature (Victoria University of Wellington) (born 1941).
• 22 January – Bill Boyd, Rotarian, president of Rotary International (2006–2007) (born 1933).
• 24 January – Ann McKenna, field hockey player (national team) and cricketer (Canterbury, national team) (born 1943).
• 25 January – Pakaitore Turia, rugby union player (Wellington, Horowhenua-Kapiti) (born 1995).
• 29 January – Ian Wood, civil engineer (University of Canterbury), Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand (since 1990) (born 1930).
• 30 January – John Pettit, undersea diver (wreck of the Elingamite), nurseryman, and politician, Auckland Regional Councillor (1986–1992) (born 1930).
• 31 January – Peter Penlington, lawyer and judge, King's Counsel (since 1978), High Court judge (1990–2000) (born 1932).

• 
  Kate Coolahan
• 
  Dame Tariana Turia
• 
  Russell Marshall
• 
  David Johnston
• 
  Bill Boyd
• 
  John Pettit

February

• 1 February
  • Mike Behrens, lawyer and judge, King's Counsel (since 1999), District Court judge (2004–2011) (born 1941).
  • Dame Iritana Tāwhiwhirangi, Māori language advocate (born 1929).
• 2 February – Peter Babich, Hall of Fame viticulturist and businessman (born 1932).
• 5 February – Brian Turner, field hockey player (national team), poet and environmental campaigner, Commonwealth Poetry Prize (1999), Poet Laureate (2003–2005) (born 1944).
• 6 February – Jim Cole, volcanologist (University of Canterbury), Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand (since 2004) (born 1941).
• 7 February – Ian Barton, forester, heritage advocate (Queen's Redoubt Trust), and local-body politician, Franklin District Councillor (1998–2004) (born 1937).
• 10 February
  • Lynne Giddings, nursing and women's studies academic (Auckland University of Technology, University of Auckland) (born 1945).
  • Toni Huata, Māori musician.
  • Rod McElrea, racing driver, national beach racing champion (1971), OSCA champion (1983) (born 1941).
• 12 February – Theo Janssen, sculptor, stained-glass artist and painter (born 1934).
• 13 February – Joe Pope, business executive (Petrocorp, ENZA) and rugby administrator, chair of Hurricanes franchise (1999–2003) and Wellington Rugby Football Union (2003–2009) (born 1941).
• 15 February
  • David Ellison, Māori leader (Kāti Huirapa), veterans' welfare and children's health advocate (born 1936).
  • David Parsons, musician, composer and ethnomusicologist (born 1944).
• 17 February – David Saunders, lawyer and judge, District Court judge (1993–2020) (born c. 1951).
• 20 February
  • Reg Douglas, Olympic rower (1956), British Empire and Commonwealth Games gold (1954, 1958) and silver medallist (1954) (born 1930).
  • Sir Peter Trapski, lawyer and judge, chief District Court judge (1985–1989) (born 1935).
  • Maata Wharehoka, weaver, Māori arts advocate, community leader (Parihaka), Ngā Tohu ā Tā Kīngi Īhaka (2015) (born 1950).
• 21 February – John Anderson, businessman, founder of Contiki Tours (1962) (born 1938).
• 24 February – Khalid Sandhu, Muslim community leader and physician, president of the Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand (1986–1988, 1989–1990) (born 1942).
• 27 February
  • Dave Gillespie, rugby union player (Otago, Wellington, national team) (born 1934).
  • Michael Moroney, Hall of Fame Thoroughbred racehorse trainer (Brew, Tofane, Xcellent) (born 1958).

• 
  Dame Iritana Tāwhiwhirangi
• 
  Brian Turner
• 
  Sir Peter Trapski
• 
  John Anderson
• 
  Maata Wharehoka

March

• 11 March – Clive Revill, actor (The Empire Strikes Back, Irma La Douce, Oliver!) (born 1930).
• 13 March – Brian McMahon, venereologist, army officer, medical superintendent (Wakari Hospital, Dunedin Hospital) and lecturer (University of Otago) (born 1929).
• 14 March – Anne Nightingale, nurse, chair of the Nursing Council (1975–1984) (born 1932).
• 16 March – Gordon H. Brown, art historian, gallery director (Waikato Art Gallery, Sarjeant Gallery), and artist (born 1931).
• 20 March – Matt Mitchell, sailor (Team New Zealand, Alinghi, Oracle Team USA) (born c. 1971).
• 21 March – Nick Carter, lawyer and judge, Māori Land Court judge (1989–2002) (born 1935).
• 22 March – Alex Wyllie, rugby union player (Canterbury, national team) and coach (Canterbury, national team, Argentina) (born 1944).
• 31 March
  • Sir Roger Clifford, 7th Baronet (born 1936).
  • Ron Jones, obstetrician and gynaecologist (National Women's Hospital, University of Auckland), whistleblower in the "Unfortunate Experiment" (born 1939).

• 
  Clive Revill
• 
  Brian McMahon
• 
  Gordon H. Brown
• 
  Ron Jones

April

• 3 April – Ted Hipkiss, cricketer (Northern Districts) (born 1947).
• 5 April
  • Raymond Hawthorne, actor (Mortimer's Patch, Bread and Roses, Shortland Street) and theatre director (Mercury Theatre, National Opera of New Zealand) (born 1936).
  • Di McCarthy, behavioural neuroscientist (University of Auckland), chief executive of the Royal Society of New Zealand Te Apārangi (2007–2014).
• 6 April
  • Sue Berry, physiotherapist and businesswoman, co-founder of Whitestone Cheese (1987) (born 1944).
  • Avis Fletcher, Olympic hurdler and sprinter (1964), British Empire and Commonwealth Games double bronze medallist (1962) (born 1938).
• 9 April
  • Nancy Carr, home economist (University of Otago) (born 1936).
  • John Mayhew, sports physician (All Blacks, North Harbour, New Zealand Warriors) (born 1954).
• 11 April – Robyn Kahukiwa, artist, children's writer and illustrator, Te Tohu mō Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu (2020) (born 1938).
• 13 April – David Kernohan, architect and academic (Victoria University of Wellington) (born 1947).
• 14 April – Peter Matheson, theologian (University of Otago) (born 1938).
• 16 April – Roger McLachlan, rock bassist (Little River Band) (born 1954).
• 18 April – Bill Woods, local politician and community leader, Mayor of Selwyn (1992–1995) (born 1942).
• 19 April – Peter Hilt, politician, MP for Glenfield (1990–1996) (born 1942).
• 24 April
  • Trish Fraser, soil scientist (Plant & Food Research), New Zealand Women of Influence rural award (2020) (born 1966).
  • Roy Phillips, musician (The Saints, The Peddlers) (born 1941).
• 28 April – Owen Dolan, Roman Catholic prelate, coadjutor bishop of Palmerston North (1995–2004) (born 1928).
• 29 April
  • Janet Clews, school teacher, local politician and community leader, mayor of Glen Eden (1983–1989), Waitakere City Councillor (1989–2010) (born 1933).
  • Cherry Hankin, academic of English literature (University of Canterbury) (born 1937).

• 
  Di McCarthy
• 
  John Mayhew
• 
  Robyn Kahukiwa
• 
  David Kernohan
• 
  Bill Woods
• 
  Trish Fraser
• 
  Janet Clews

May

• 1 May – Bob Brockie, biologist, cartoonist (National Business Review) and columnist (Dominion Post) (born 1932).
• 2 May – Sir Bob Jones, property magnate, writer, and politician, founder of the New Zealand Party (1983) (born 1939).
• 5 May
  • Shane Richardson, motorcycle racer (born c. 1996).
  • Shane Solomon, lawyer and Māori leader (Waikato Tainui) (born 1963).
• 6 May – Bill McCaw, rugby union player (Southland, national team), oldest living All Black (since 2023) (born 1927).
• 9 May – Fred Graham, rugby union player (New Zealand Māori), educator and sculptor, Te Tohu mō Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu (2017), Arts Foundation of New Zealand Icon (since 2018) (born 1928).
• 13 May – Danny Lendich, businessman and midget car racing team owner, introduced Wendy's to New Zealand (1988) (born 1944).
• 14 May – Lionel Hill-Smith, Empire Games hurdler (1950) (born 1929).
• 15 May – Durham Havill, local politician and businessman, Mayor of Westland (1989–1998) (born 1944).
• 16 May – Tuppy Diack, rugby union player (Otago, Southland, national team) and administrator, president of the Otago Rugby Football Union (2005) (born 1930).
• 17 May – Clive Rennie, educator, principal of Rangitikei College (1986–1991), Mountainview High School (1997–2000) and Otago Boys' High School (2000–2014) (born 1944).
• 18 May – John Simpson, silversmith and fine arts academic (University of Canterbury) (born 1925).
• 21 May – Frank Gibson Jr., jazz drummer and drum tutor (born 1946).
• 23 May – Roger Bridge, businessman and political party official (National) (born 1958).
• 24 May – Andrew Shaw, children's television presenter, television director and producer (South Pacific Television, TVNZ), and media executive (TVNZ, South Pacific Pictures, NZ On Air) (born 1957).
• 29 May – David Trist, cricketer (Canterbury) and cricket coach (Eastern Province, national team) (born 1947).
• 30 May – John Pike, lawyer, King's Counsel (since 2013) (born 1944).

• 
  Bob Brockie
• 
  Bill McCaw
• 
  Fred Graham
• 
  Durham Havill
• 
  Clive Rennie
• 
  John Simpson
• 
  Roger Bridge
• 
  John Pike

June

• 1 June – Robert Anderson, cricketer (Otago, Central Districts, national team) (born 1948).
• 4 June
  • Edwin Perry, politician, New Zealand First list MP (2002–2005), Masterton District Councillor (2007–2010) (born 1948).
  • Bruce Stewart, lawyer, Rhodes Scholar (1975), King's Counsel (since 2000) (born 1953).
• 6 June – Marise Wipani, beauty pageant contestant, actor (Came a Hot Friday, Shortland Street, Soldier Soldier), and television presenter (Lotto) (born 1964).
• 7 June – David Lean, local politician, Mayor of New Plymouth (1980–1992), Taranaki Regional Councillor (since 1989) (born 1948).
• 8 June
  • Anthony Reid, historian (Australian National University, UCLA, National University of Singapore) (born 1939).
  • Stu Wilson, rugby union player (Wellington, national team) and television commentator (born 1954).
• 10 June – Roka Ngarimu-Cameron, tohunga raranga and traditional Māori arts academic (University of Otago) (born 1948).
• 12 June
  • Maurice Gee, novelist (Under the Mountain, In My Father's Den, Plumb), Arts Foundation of New Zealand Icon (since 2003) (born 1931).
  • Phil Silva, psychologist and paediatrician (University of Otago), founder (1972) and director (1972–1999) of the Dunedin Study (born 1940).
  • Sir Cliff Skeggs, Hall of Fame businessman and local politician, Mayor of Dunedin (1977–1989) (born 1931).
• 14 June – Lorraine Barry, music manager (Dave Dobbyn, Ice-T, Spice Girls) (born c. 1958).
• 15 June – Barry Vercoe, computer scientist (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) and composer, inventor of Csound (1985) (born 1937).
• 21 June - Harry Watson, artist
• 24 June – Garry Ahern, sports broadcaster (Radio New Zealand) (born 1949).
• 26 June
  • Takutai Tarsh Kemp, politician, MP for Tāmaki Makaurau (since 2023) (born 1975)
  • Robbie Stuart, rugby union player (Hawke's Bay, national team) and coach (Hawke's Bay) (born 1948).

• 
  Edwin Perry
• 
  Anthony Reid
• 
  Roka Ngarimu‑Cameron
• 
  Maurice Gee
• 
  Sir Cliff Skeggs
• 
  Barry Vercoe
• 
  Takutai Tarsh Kemp

July

• 1 July – Dennis Lattimer, muralist (born 1946).
• 2 July – Des Gorman, diving and hyperbaric medicine specialist (University of Auckland) and health bureaucrat (born c. 1954).
• 3 July – Terry Brown, brothel owner (born 1956/1957). (death announced on this date)
• 5 July – Tim Bray, actor, comedian, and children's theatre founder (born 1964).
• 9 July – Bruce Harris, legal academic (University of Otago, University of Auckland).
• 11 July – Alex McNabb, mathematician (DSIR), Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand (since 1985) (born 1930).
• 16 July
  • Chris Faiumu, musician (Fat Freddy's Drop) and reggae-dub producer.
  • Bruce McTavish, boxing referee (born 1940).
• 17 July
  • Don McIntosh, rugby union player (Wellington, national team) (born 1931).
  • Greer Twiss, sculptor (Karangahape Rocks) and educator (University of Auckland), Arts Foundation of New Zealand Icon (since 2011) (born 1937).
  • Daphne Walker, singer (born 1930).
• 29 July – Sir Michael Hill, jeweller, businessman (Michael Hill Jeweller), and philanthropist (born 1938).

• 
  Dennis Lattimer
• 
  Tim Bray
• 
  Bruce McTavish
• 
  Greer Twiss
• 
  Sir Michael Hill